Norwegian state broadcaster NRK has teamed up with mobile phone producer Ericsson to launch the world's first experiment with interactive television on mobile phones.

Mobile phone users can download a program that allows them to watch and interact with the youth music program "Visj". Users can vote for music videos and chat with program leaders and other viewers while watching "Visj". The test will go on for six weeks.

According to Gunnar Garfors, director of mobile technologies for NRK, hundreds of people have already downloaded the viewing technology for their phones. Garfors commented on the new technology saying, "We see it as something that can be used in other programs ... When the tests are completed we will evaluate the results ... for future commercial use."

Telecommunications analyst Espen Torgersen said the following about mobile television: "It's an area that is in its very early stages … It could be something if it catches on."

In the United States Qualcomm Inc. next year plans to adapt a live television network for mobile phones, while the sports network ESPN is planning a service for mobile phones that will provide video clips and news. Mobile phone networks already providing video material to their customers in the US include Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and Vodaphone.

Mobile media as new competition for newspapers?

Apart from being another form of media eating up potential readers' time, mobile television and news delivery present newspapers with business competition as well. Chances are that most content distributed by such devices will be entertainment, leaving a small space for news.Considering the speed at which the world of new media is developing, this small space may already be filled.

News agencies are well adapted to mobile diffusion. New media companies like Yahoo have an even bigger advantage in that they boast a combination of breaking news, streaming video and original content that they continue to develop. What steps the newspaper industry takes now, will determine how they compete with these companies in the future.

Sources: Washingtonpost.com, Reuters