CBS has launched 13 stand-alone news applications, adding a local content element to its mobile strategy.

The applications are free and feature local news headlines and stories, full-length on-demand video, slide shows and Twitter updates. CBS hopes the applications will engage consumers at a local level, providing them with national and local news they desire.

?CBS Television Stations do a great job gathering and presenting news at the grass-roots level,? said Rob Gelick, senior vice president and general manager of CBS Mobile, Los Angeles. ?These CBS-owned TV station apps allow us to present that extensive local content on an emerging platform and help grow the audience for CBS, CBS News and the CBS stations.

?The CBS Television Stations in markets like New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Boston are hubs for local communities,? he said. ?By leveraging the capabilities of the iPhone platform, we are able to present vital information directly to the local community audience.? 

CBS Mobile is a unit of CBS Interactive Inc. and is responsible for CBS Corp.'s wireless business across entertainment, sports and news for CBS, The CW and CBS Paramount Television.

CBS Television Stations consists of 29 stations, including 16 that are part of the CBS Television Network and 13 that are affiliated with The CW Network, MyNetworkTV, or operate as independents.

The power of local
Branded applications launched for WCBS-New York, KCBS/KCAL-Los Angeles, WBBM-Chicago, KYW-Philadelphia, WBZ-Boston, KPIX-San Francisco, KTVT-Dallas/Fort Worth, WCCO-Minneapolis/St. Paul, WFOR-Miami, KCNC-Denver, KOVR-Sacramento, KDKA-Pittsburgh and WJZ-Baltimore.

Applications feature full news video integration, letting consumers view on-demand news coverage from local reporters and from CBS News.

CBS News also provides national and global breaking news.

Consumers can access local geotargeted weather. The weather in the application is real time and includes extended weather forecasts targeted automatically by each consumer?s location.

Users can also check weather conditions in other cities.

Twitter feeds featuring insights and breaking news from anchors and reporters in local markets are also integrated within the applications.

Consumers can also navigate by topic through the News Trends section, a collection of the top stories from feeds across Twitter.

CBS Mobile partnered with Treemo Labs to develop the application and Transpera to power the pre-roll video and ad capabilities in the application.

Mr. Gelick said the challenge is taking news content from specific designated market areas and packaging that news into an easy-to-consume application.

The demographic for the application is that of the TV broadcasts, 18-60-year-olds that are interested in news, interviews and other CBS News content.

Mobile opportunities
Mr. Gelick said the applications for the various TV stations present a great opportunity for all of the sales groups within CBS. 

CBS has the ability to sell ads locally, regionally or nationally. Mr. Gelick said the national and station sales groups are excited about the opportunities these applications offer to deliver geotargeted ads.

In terms of type of inventory available, the new applications offer banner ads, rich media like interstitials and expandable ads and pre-and post-roll for video.

The bulk of the marketing efforts for the applications will be driven by the individual stations because they know their market and audience. However, Mr. Gelick said CBS Mobile will make sure local audiences are aware of the applications.

?These apps are designed as stand-alone products that fit into the broader offerings of CBS News, and CBS Mobile,? Mr. Gelick said. ?We?ve all heard the expression, ?The mobile phone is the most personal media mechanism,? it?s always with you, you tend not to share it and it is the hub for your connected life.

?Local content is just one more reflection on this theme,? he said. ?For example, a consumer from New York is going to want to get news specific to their locale, just the way a consumer in San Francisco wants info native to their environment.?