CBS Pushes Letterman, Ferguson to Go with Verizon

Verizon Wireless V CAST Subscribers Can Access Entire Episodes of Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/20/2007 5:22:00 PM

CBS is now making entire programs of Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson available on-demand to subscribers of Verizon Wireless' V CAST video-download service.

Beginning Tuesday, the late-night talk shows will be available the day after their original broadcasts, commercial-free.

CBS -- which also provides linear programming to Verizon Wireless' V CAST Mobile TV broadcast service -- said it is the first broadcast network to offer V CAST video subscribers access to full-length on-demand programming.

"While we continue to provide short clips of our shows, we're seeing a growing demand for the availability of full-length, network-quality shows on video-on-demand mobile video," said Cyriac Roeding, executive vice president of CBS Mobile for CBS Interactive, in a statement. "Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson have become some of the most demanded shows in mobile and on the Internet, so it only makes sense that we fulfill the consumer request and help grow the popularity of these franchises. We are committed to innovation and are happy to help launch Verizon Wireless' first full-length video-on-demand programming on its V CAST service."

Starting Tuesday, each night's full program of Late Show and The Late Late Show will be presented in a series of video shorts, allowing V CAST subscribers to watch the shows in small chunks, if they so desire.The on-demand shows will remain accessible until the following night's broadcasts replace them.

"CBS continues to be a great, innovative partner and we're looking forward to the success of these full-length programs on V CAST," said Ryan Hughes, VP of digital-media programming for Verizon, in a statement. "By offering hit programs in their entirety through a series of shorter segments, we're meeting our customers' expectations about staying entertained and informed while on-the-go."

A monthly subscription to the V CAST VPak package costs $15, which also includes access to ESPN MVP and Mobile Web 2.0; V CAST VPak subscribers do not incur airtime charges when using V CAST Video or Music, Mobile Web 2.0 or Get It Now applications. Alternatively, customers with select V CAST-enabled phones can sample V CAST for $3 for 24-hour use.