I think this story got a bit buried yesterday, or hasn't gotten the attention it deserves.
The AP will be launching a new Mobile News Network that will send stories and more to smart phones. The ad-supported service will send local news from newspapers to smart phones, in addition to sending AP national and international news.
Individual newspapers will be able to sell advertising into the mobile service, splitting revenue 50/50. The newspaper involved in the initial test are: Advance Publications Inc., Hearst Corp., Lee Enterprises Inc., McClatchy Co., MediaNews Group Inc. and Rust Communications Inc. The full service should launch this summer.
Mobile is in is nascent phases in the U.S. newspaper industry, even though the infrastructure and culture differences in some areas of Europe and Southeast Asia have allowed mobile to really take off there. We hope programs like this will push mobile advances and revenue coming from newspaper sites, as our audience becomes more on-the-go and more interested in getting news the way they want, when they want, etc.
NAA will be looking at the issues surrounding mobile news and newspaper sites over the summer.