Dyle Adds 17 More Stations to Mobile TV Launch

Seven broadcast networks will participate in mobile DTV service slated to bow in 2012

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/16/2012 12:35:53 PM

The Mobile Content Venture has announced that 17 additional television stations from Belo, Cox Media Group, Fox, Gannett Broadcasting, ION, Post-Newsweek, Meredith, Raycom, CBS Television and LIN Media will join broadcasters planning to launch the Dyle mobile TV broadcast service.

The expansion will add in three new markets -- Austin, Boston and Dayton -- where the service will be launched and bring in two new station groups, CBS and LIN Media.

No specific launch date has been announced for the MVC-backed Dyle mobile TV service later this year, but it will offer live broadcasts of local and national news, sports and entertainment programming to mobile devices. Seven networks will be participating in the launch.

Overall, the backers are expecting that the Dyle Mobile TV service will be launched on more than 90 stations in 35 markets, reaching 55 percent of the U.S. population in 2012.

"It is exciting to see the growing support from leading broadcasting groups -- like CBS, and LIN -- in making content available to millions of viewers who want to enjoy live broadcast TV from their mobile devices while on-the-go," said Salil Dalvi and Erik Moreno, co-general managers of MCV in a statement. "The addition of these stations to our network brings even more momentum to our efforts. As an industry, we have all 7 major commercial networks participating in the Dyle launch. We look forward to growing and expanding the Dyle mobile TV national footprint, strengthening our offering in anticipation of our consumer launch later this year."

Dyle is operated by Pearl LLC -- which is made up of Belo Corp., Cox Media Group, E.W. Scripps Co., Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Corp., Post-Newsweek Stations Inc. and Raycom Media -- as well as Fox, ION Television and NBC.

New markets planning to launch Dyle mobile TV broadcasts will include: Austin (where LIN Media's NBC affiliate KXAN and Fox's owned & operated station KTBC will offer the service); Boston (Fox's owned & operated station WFXT and ION's owned & operated WBPX); and Dayton (Cox's CBS affiliate WHIO).

Other new stations that will launch Dyle will include the CBS Owned & Operated stations in the Dallas (KTVT) and Miami (WFOR) markets; CBS affiliates in the Houston (Belo - KHOU), Seattle (Cox - KIRO), DC (Gannett - WUSA), Orlando (Post News - WKMG), Atlanta (Meredith - WGCI), Phoenix (Mededith - KPHO) and Charlotte (Raycom - WBTV) markets; ABC affiliates in the Dallas (Belo's WFAA) and Orlando (Cox's WFTV) markets; and independent  station KCAL in Los Angeles.

"At LIN Media, we are always trying to find innovative ways to deliver a unique media experience to our viewers in local markets across multiple platforms," said Vincent L. Sadusky, president and CEO of LIN Media in a statement. "We are excited to be a part of this effort to bring live broadcast TV to smartphones and tablets."