ITN to offer 24-hour news on mobile phones

By Caitlin Pike

ITN Multimedia is launching its streamed 24-hour news channel and the ITN Weather Channel on Vodafone mobile TV.

The made-for-mobile news channel will deliver world and UK news every 15 minutes to Vodafone users.

The Weather Channel, produced in conjunction with the Met Office, will work in a similar way, providing weather information from nine regions in the UK as well as five-day forecasts and holiday weather.

Managing director of ITN Multimedia Nicholas Wheeler said: "We are convinced moving images on the move are going to be increasingly popular. It is good that Vodafone can see the benefits of serious information content as well as the more traditional light entertainment areas and understand the medium enough to see the value of the made-formobile propositions."

The ITN channels will be added to Vodafone Live!’s ‘variety pack’, which is a mixed bag of Channel 4, Eurosport, Fashion TV, HBO, ChilliTV, and Uefa Champions League content and costs £3 per month for Vodafone users.

ITN Multimedia has been developing video content specifically for mobile and multimedia platforms since 2003. An ITN spokesperson said: "It is a rapidly expanding part of ITN’s business and an increasingly significant revenue stream."

Content from our partners

Free journalism awards for journalists under 30: Deadline today

Press Gazette

MHP Group’s 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries

Press Gazette

How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition

Freddy Mayhew

ITN, which won the best content service award at the World Communications Awards, first delivered news to mobile on Vodafone in 2003.

The service has grown from text services on 2.5G handsets to the launch of video downloads when Vodafone went in to 3G in 2004.

ITN Multimedia recently announced it is working with Google to launch the Video Store, where internet users will be able to buy, rent and watch video online.

ITN Multimedia has also signed a deal with MSN to supply news and a variety of entertainment content for its new video channel, MSN Video, and is partnering with Blinkx in the launch of its full-service IPTV platform blinkx.tv.