Audio channels launched for cell phones

NEW YORK - Music Choice and Sprint are launching a music service that allows mobile phone users to view short videoclips and listen to radio-like programming on their handsets.

The service, Music Choice Today, starts on Monday and offers Sprint subscribers in the US streaming access to Music Choice audio channels via their cell phones.

For $5.99 per month, users can listen to a range of genres and formats, including R&B/hip-hop, pop, country and rock. The service also features music news and daily video snippets of artist interviews and performances originally produced by Music Choice.

Music Choice president/CEO Dave Del Beccaro says the service is designed to allow consumers to experience a "few quick minutes of music" in their spare time, such as when waiting in line or at doctors' offices, train stations and airports.

Sprint and other wireless carriers are eyeing advanced audio and video features for phones to help drive adoption and use of their new high-speed data networks.

The Music Choice offering is part of a larger multimedia programming push for mobile handsets by Sprint.

Earlier this year, the company announced Sprint PCS Vision Multimedia Services, which delivers streaming audio and video content at up to 15 frames per second and features content from NBC, CNN, ABC News, Fox Sports, the Weather Channel, Discovery, E Entertainment, mFlix, Twentieth Century Fox, AccuWeather, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Comedy Time and 1KTV.

Music Choice Today represents the first dedicated music offering on the platform. A limited-access version of the service -- featuring select news and videoclips, but no streaming audio -- also comes bundled in a package of news, sports and entertainment services, called Sprint TV, for $9.99 per month.

At launch, Music Choice Today and other multimedia programming will be available only on one phone, the Sprint PCS Vision Multimedia Phone MM-7400 from Sanyo. But Sprint says the programming will be available on other multimedia phones in the near future.

As for Music Choice, the Sprint ties mark the latest in a series of moves by the Horsham, Pa.-based company to extend its brand and consumer appeal beyond its roots as an audio service delivered through cable TV systems.

Music Choice recently announced plans to launch a video-on-demand service via digital cable partners like Comcast. At the same time, the company is looking to expand its presence online through deals with broadband service providers that allow for the delivery of Music Choice programming to PCs.

- REUTERS