NBC Will Offer Broadcasts in NYC Taxis

NBC is about to launch a unique experiment this year by offering NBC (GE) television content via New York City taxi cabs. They have gone into a partnership with Clear Channel Taxi Media to make it happen.

Clear Channel Taxi Media is set to debut the offering before the third quarter. It will be called NY10, New York's Taxi Entertainment Network. It will present exclusive content from WNBC, NBC News (including MSNBC and CNBC) and NBC Entertainment.

"We are always looking for innovative ways to expose our brands to as many people as possible, not only to New Yorkers but to the millions of people who visit New York each year," says Frank Radice, senior vice president, NBC Agency, East Coast. "This is the perfect vehicle--no pun intended--to make that happen."

How it will work is that there will be LCD screens that are installed in the backseat of the cabs. The network itself will broadcast the usual entertainment, news, weather and sports.

Customers will also be able to see the route they will be taking and pay for their ride with their credit cards.

This is actually a pretty good idea when you think of the volume of passengers that ride New York City cabs, and the places they represent from all over the world. I wonder if riders will be offered a choice to watch, or if it will be on regardless. I mention that thinking of how viewership will be measured as it relates to sponsors.