Murdoch says fog lingers over mobile TV

BskyB chief James Murdoch made cautious statements about mobile television this week, telling an online forum the business model was still evolving.

Murdoch told participants in a Financial Times session that the best means of distributing TV content over cell phones had yet to be determined, although the industry was encouraged by early indications of consumer demand.

A primary issue was the type of device that consumers will eventually settle on, which means content companies and mobile operators will have to remain flexible.

"Let's not expect any one device ... to be the Swiss Army knife of mobile content," Murdoch was quoted as saying in the Financial Times. "They all do different things, and they are all changing fast."

Murdoch suggested mobile-television distribution would evolve into a shared enterprise with traditional television broadcasters playing a significant role.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International