Local News Sites Coming To A Mobile Near You

While many wireless operators offer mobile Web portals that bring national headlines to your cell phone, finding local information is often a little bit more work. To remedy that, Crisp Wireless and Internet Broadcasting are bringing local news to your handsets with the launch of 29 mobile Web sites in tier 1 and tier 2 markets around the country.For those more interested in what's going on in your neck of the woods rather than nationally, the wait is almost over. Boston, Detroit and Philadelphia will be the first three markets to have their local news (WCVB, WDIV, and WCAU, respectively) appear on the WAP-based mobile Web sites. The content will be mostly local and regional, but will be supplemented by national headlines as well.

The local Web sites will include local breaking news, updated headlines, current weather conditions, forecasts, live radar, and updated sports scores. The content will be searchable, so users can find the local news and information that matters most to them.

"Consumers value local content for news that affects their daily lives," said Julie Burrows, Internet Broadcasting's EVP of marketing, research, and product development.

Of course, a big part of the deal is advertising. More than just static banners, Crisp and Internet Broadcasting are offering advertisers microsites, which let them build custom sites that can be used to pitch their products more effectively on mobile devices. Crisp Wireless's mLogic platform will automatically detect what device is being used and optimize the WAP site for each handset.

The other 26 markets will launch in the coming months.