Broadcasters just got one step closer to launching their own mobile TV services. The Advanced Television Systems Committee, which sets standards for all things TV, has approved a system that will allow digital TV stations to broadcast mobile channels to be picked up on cellphones and portable media players. Chalk it up to bureaucracy or caution, but this isn’t the final step in the standards process. A final ATSC standard isn’t expected until the latter part of 2009. The candidate standard is based on Mobile Pedestrian Handheld technology jointly developed by LG Electronics (SEO: 066570) and Harris Broadcast. Samsung also supports the standard after trying to push its own technology earlier on. Commercial mobile TV services aren’t expected to be launched until 2010, but manufacturers are developing test devices to run in trials next year. Release.

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