CeBit: Motorola wants its MTV on cell phones

Wireless phone maker Motorola and music programmer MTV International on Wednesday said they struck an alliance that seeks to turn teenagers' mobile phone screens into a hip broadcast medium. The three-year, $75 million deal pairs Motorola with the non-U.S. operations of cable TV network MTV, which target teenage audiences in markets where cable TV usage remains at the relatively low levels reached in the mid-1980s in the United States. Motorola and MTV International, a unit of U.S. media conglomerate Viacom, said the partnership looks to tap MTV's insights and influence into the ever-evolving music and youth-lifestyle market. Toward that end, Motorola said it plans to pre-install MTV programming on upcoming models, including caller ring tones based on popular MTV tunes, phone-based video games, and other MTV-branded material such as music-themed screensavers. Live updates on local concerts and other events will be delivered. Some phone models due out in the second half of this year will feature FM radios with high-quality stereo sound. Also in the works are plans by the companies to produce 30-minute programs in each of MTV's regional markets that spotlight new music and developing artists. MTV produces music programming in 17 languages that can be seen in 164 countries.