The infamous
third screen

If you think basic cable is bad TV, imagine getting it on your phone… Verizon and Qualcomm are set to launch a mobile TV service early next year that will have basic offerings at first, with more selections to come.

Verizon's Mobile TV will go live in 20-30 markets in the first quarter of 2007 with a core selection of offerings, including "sports, news and children's programming," according to paidContent.org. Already-live networks cover entire metropolitan areas from Las Vegas to Chicago.

Data-casting services and the planned 24 channels will not be part of the mobile service at launch. Qualcomm's MediaFlow wants to give customers time to acclimate to the concept of primary TV services before it starts tossing new applications in, like channels offering real-time stats like sports scores or financial info.