Mobile Everywhere

With NAB touting their very own mobile TV toys in Las Vegas and spectrum battles continuing in D.C., it looks like this is gonna be a mobile-everywhere kind of week.  Among the latest:

• The CEA has a new study from Zogby/463 saying that, by a margin of 6 to 1, Americans think "underutilized spectrum" should be auctioned off to help lower the deficit.  The poll also says Americans "see less value in over-the-air broadcasts."  (Gary Shapiro might want to stay out of Las Vegas this week.)

• Republicans in D.C. agree that demand for wireless broadband is huge (or so said a staff memo).  They'll discuss it at today's hearing in the House Communications Subcommittee.  (But don't expect anything to happen fast ... in fact, FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell warns "We are starting to run out of time.")

• FCC Chair Julius Genachowski address the NAB in Vegas this morning ...

• The broadcasters have their own study saying that mobile broadcast TV could reach nearly 76M households within 12 months.  

• Among the vendors touting mobile TV at NAB this week are LG Electronics with a mobile 3D demo;  Verizon with new tech to help automate mobile delivery; and ATCi subsidiary MeshTV with services offering multiple dedicated live stream content for mobile devices.•

DIRECTV Adds HBO GO

It's Revolution time in New Orleans (officially starting today) so naturally DIRECTV is unleashing all kinds of news.  Among the latest:  An agreement giving DIRECTV HBO customers free access to the big premium's new online video offerings, HBO GO and MAX GO, starting today.  (Said CEO Mike White to the WSJ, ""The days of watching a show at a set time in your living room have long passed.")   DTV also announced the addition of 16 new markets to DTV's HD locals' roster due sometime this summer.  (Fifteen of those will be first times for local DTV offerings period.)•

Etc: Nielsen's STB Data Tests – Another Big DISH Fight – Stealth Ads

Analyze This:  News last week that Nielsen is testing the use set-top box data to enhance local TV ratings shouldn't be viewed as a negative for Rentrak, says Kaufman Bros. analyst Todd Mitchell.  The test is happening in just three Charter markets, he notes.  Plus: Nielsen isn't "currently" trying to duplicate Rentrak's service, it's way behind in implementation; and the tests are "an inherent acknowledgment of Nielsen's shortcomings in measuring local markets."  He reiterates a "Buy" with a $37 price target for RENT. 

Battlegrounds:  Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett reminds us that, in addition to the TiVo litigation, DISH Network faces a potentially huge bill from its fight with Cablevision's Rainbow (soon to be AMC Networks) group.  The problem harks back to Cablevision's VOOM HD channels and DISH's agreement to carry them.  The deal didn't work for either party and the Dolans want $2.5B in damages.  "We take no position," Moffett says, "but we believe awareness of the case is important." --- Online video distributor Zediva is being sued by six major Hollywood film studios.

Advertising:  Ad Age has an interesting story on how the Turner networks are working to give advertisers a way to blend in with programming so that their ads are harder to spot.  You can find it here. 

Heads Up:  MediaBiz, the parent company to The Morning BRIDGE, has added demographic detail to its online tool set which offers subscriber data, channel lineups, provider footprints etc. by Headend, DMA & ZIP code.  The new information includes demographic data on ethnic populations, education level, average household income, average age by male/female etc.  The data is available for no extra charge to MediaBiz's MediaCensus subscribers.  For more information, please contact: Robert Lehmann at lehmannr@medibiz.com or 303-898-4791.

Folks:  The highest paid CEO in America:  Viacom's Philippe Dauman who, says the NYT, earned $84.5M in 9 months last year. --- David Helfgott is the new president of Inmarsat while Peter Hadinger joins Inmarsat Global XpressTM as president of Inmarsat Government Services. --- A court upheld the Winklevoss twin's FaceBook settlement ... that's all folks.

SkyREPORT:  Arianespace's aborted launch of the Yahsat YiA and Intelsat New Dawn satellite payloads has been rescheduled for Friday, April 22. --- The second launch of Globalstar's next generation satellites has been delayed for additional technical checks. --- As expected, Satmex filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of Delaware.  The company hopes to raise about $325 in new financing for it Satmex 8 satellite, due for launch in 2012.

CORRECTION: Yesterday's The Evening BRIDGE had story meant for this morning:  it was 4:30 in the morning 150 years ago that some secessionists fired on Fort Sumter.  (Only one catch of the wrong date so far.)  Long and bloody nightmare followed whether you call it the War of Northern Aggression, the Civil War, the War Between the States ... war just ain't good ... necessary sometimes, just never good.•