Telephia's mobile TV research begs channel questions

A MARKET research company called Telephia - which really should know better - says one in three mobile TV users view BBC1. If true, sales of Virgin's Mobile's Lobster handset have been phenomenal.

Because that's the only UK handset which can receive BBC1.

The company claimed on 26th October that it is surveying 8,000 mobile subscribers per month and that the published results represent responses about mobile activity in the last 30 days. The Lobster went on public sale on October 1st last.

The INQ has been checking out the web sites for the companies running some of the other channels mentioned and Sky has not launched Sky Sports - only Sky Sports News.

You can't even view BBC 2, BBC3 or BBC4 online, let alone on a mobile phone. ITV2 and UKTV Gold don't appear to be offered on any handset either. According to Telephia 1TV2 took 21 per cent of all UK mobile TV viewers and UKTV Gold took 17 per cent.

The INQ can only think that Telephia's guinea pigs thought they were answering the question - 'What would you like to view on your handset?', not 'What do you actually watch on your handset?'

Bruce Renny, marketing director with Rok TV confessed he was: "Baffled and intrigued by the research. BBC2, 3 & 4 aren't available on a mobile handset," he said, "but I'd be delighted to be proved wrong."

He revealed the top viewed channel on Rok TV is actually ITN News which came nowhere in Telephia's results.

Paul Goode, a senior analyst with M:metrics refused to comment on a rival firm's research. µ

L'INQ
Telephia's research in full