Can mobile video really have a fair shot at success? In many cases I believe it can - but I am skeptical about the ad-supported model however.

Mobile television programmer GoTV Networks plans to premiere today a made-for-mobile reality show that will be one of the first significant programming experiments for the emerging cellular video business.

GoTV’s “Primped” is a 30-episode unscripted series in the makeover genre that runs for six weeks. Sprint customers with access to mobile TV content can get all 30 episodes for $6.99.

Given the show’s run and the investment by more than 12 advertisers into branded integration in the show, GoTV’s “Primped” is one of the boldest mobile programming experiments to date in cellular TV. GoTV has amassed more than 100,000 subscribers for its stable of 12 premium channels since its 2005 relaunch as a mobile TV programmer.

Also, GoTV, which produces mobile programming in several different genres for its channels, can look to a veteran to guide the endeavor. Daniel Tibbets, GoTV’s executive VP and head of development and programming, previously worked at Fox, where he oversaw the development of Fox’s groundbreaking work in cellular video with the introduction of the industry’s first “mobisodes,” or TV episodes made specifically for cellphone viewing, in early 2005. While those shows-mobile versions of “24″ and “The Simple Life”-were spinoffs from existing TV shows, “Primped” exists solely as a digital program…. Source: TVWeek.com