CBS to Offer Mobile Video Subscriptions

CBS said Monday that it would launch a subscription video service for cell phones that allows users to access news or entertainment content for a monthly fee. Monthly CBS News alerts will run 99 cents, while access to entertainment news from Entertainment Tonight costs $3.99 per month.

The company says the service is the first of its kind, and extends the network's strategy to allow access to its content from a variety of platforms. Subscribers would receive up to five alerts daily, and the service would be available for all phone models and carriers.

Video and picture capability would vary depending on the handset the subscriber is using, the network said.

"Consumers want to see news and be a part of celebrity happenings as soon as video is available," CBS Digital Media vice president Cyriac Roeding said. "CBS Alerts' represent the next generation in wireless news and entertainment content by packaging text with a more rich visual experience in near real time."

CBS plans to advertise the new feature during selected programming and allow registration online through CBS.com, CBSNews.com and ETOnline.com.

For years, television networks have been turning to cell phones for increased revenue. With mobile video taking off, the focus has turned to more rich media applications. Sprint now offers a live television option for subscribers of its Vision and Power Vision services, as does Verizon through its VCAST service.