www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/11/10/fox.mobile.ap/index.html
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Twentieth Century Fox studio, a veteran of the big s creen and the TV screen, is about to break into an entirely new realm: t he really little screen, the kind that comes on a cell phone. In what appeared to be the first arrangement of its kind, Twentieth Centu ry Fox said Wednesday it would create a unique series of one-minute dram as based on its hit show "24" exclusively for a new high-speed wireless service being offered by Vodafone PLC, the world's biggest cell phone co mpany. Vodafone will begin offering the one-minute episodes in January in the Un ited Kingdom, coinciding with the start of the fourth season of the show on a satellite TV service. The "mobisodes," as they're being called, will be introduced later in 200 5 in up to 23 more countries where Vodafone operates, mainly in Europe, as well as in the United States through the company's Verizon Wireless j oint venture. The deal is part of a broader agreement between Fox Entertainment Group a nd London-based Vodafone under which Fox, the entertainment unit of Rupe rt Murdoch's News Corporation, will develop other programming to be view ed on the phones. In March, the new Vodafone service, to be called Vodafone live! with 3G, will also offer trailers and clips of movies under a "Movie of the Month " service, the first one being "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason." Cell phone operators have invested heavily to roll out high-speed wireles s services, intent on driving new revenues from Internet browsing, strea ming video and audio, and other forms of media. The announcement came on the same day that Vodafone announced the launch of its long-delayed high-speed wireless services across much of Europe. The launch ended a wait of several years since Vodafone spent billions to acquire licenses to use more of the public airwaves to deliver the new services, which are known as "3G" in the wireless industry. The one-minute dramas and movie trailers from Fox were one of several ser vices being unveiled for Vodafone's service, which will also offer news, sports, music and games. The cellular version of the "24" series will be based on characters from the television show. Teri Everett, a spokeswoman for Fox Entertainment Group, said Fox's deal with Vodafone represented the first time a Hollywood studio had agreed t o make a TV series expressly for distribution on cell phones.
|
http://csua.com/feed/