• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, November 29, 2005

Disney and Clear Channel Communications separately announced plans on Monday to promote their entertainment and news content over Apple's video iPod and other broadband video-ready devices.

Disney on Monday began offering consumers free trailers, clips, and cast interviews from its fantasy thriller "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," which can be downloaded directly to iPods.

Clear Channel, through its syndication arm Premiere Radio Networks, plans to give subscribers to Rush Limbaugh's "Rush 24/7" premium content service 60-second video segments of the "Rush Limbaugh Show" in playback formats for both video-enabled iPods and PCs. The content should be available by mid-December. Subscribers to Limbaugh's show pay $6.95 a month--or $49.95 annually--for access to live audio streams of every show, show podcasts, and other such offerings.

For both Clear Channel and Disney, the transfer of data from Web to iPod relies on technology from Maven Networks.

Since Apple unveiled its portable video iPod last month, many publishers and advertisers have experimented with downloadable content offerings. They have done so largely in response to changing consumer behavior and demand, according to Hilmi Ozguc, CEO of Maven Networks. "As traditional broadcasters watch consumers' real-time media viewing patterns shift, they are following their audiences onto a variety of Internet-enabled consumer platforms," Ozguc said in a statement.

Disney was the first to get its content on Apple's iPod. On the day of its release in mid-October, Apple's CEO Steve Jobs announced a deal with Disney to offer five television shows--including "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives"--through iTunes, for $2 a pop.

Even Hasbro got into the portable video act earlier this month, when it announced deals with Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon to distribute select shows over Hasbro's portable video player from about $1.99 to $2.99, per the terms of the agreement.