Sandhya Raman talks to Louis Gump, vice president of CNN Mobile.

FierceMobileContent: How does CNN profit from mobile?

Gump: Advertising is the primary financial growth provider for CNN Mobile, and it is really that simple. We did launch a paid app on the iPhone in September of 2009 and it was successful. On the other hand, one of the dynamics of the app market is that free apps tend to draw a lot more users. Because advertisers are increasingly interested in the mobile platform, we actually had a stronger revenue pace of the ad-supported app than we did for a paid app at the core product level. And so what we are seeing is that advertising is to fund products across our portfolio.

I would also say however, if I interpret your question a little more broadly and more than just financial in nature, that mobile enriches the ways that consumers can access CNN. We can do things on mobile platforms that other people can't do. And I can give you a couple examples of that. One of them is about a week ago when the news came through about [Osama] bin Laden [when he was killed]. Sunday night 10-11 o'clock at night, a lot of people had turned off their TVs and were going to bed, they got alerts on their phones and immediately checked their iPads or phones, or Android devices or they went to their TV. And they went to tune in and they got their news sooner because of the unique capabilities of phones.

And the second aspect of this is that a major portion of what we price is our iReport. IReport is our citizen journalism tool. What happens is that we are getting incredible submissions via these mobile devices which are not only becoming a part of the iReport content community, but are used extensively on air on CNN. So not only is it enriching the consumer experience but it is also contributing content that we never could have had otherwise.

You can read the full interview from Fierce Mobile Content here.

CNN Press Release - Today, Google held a press event at its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters to preview Honeycomb 3.0 and how developers are using the platform. CNN was one of three brands selected to join Google on stage to give a sneak peek of CNN's latest mobile application: the CNN App on Android.

The app is scheduled to launch in Android Market soon in conjunction with the Android tablet's commercial launch.

Some highlights of the CNN App on Android Tablet are as follows:

• Available for the Honeycomb platform, 3.0 SDK at launch
• iReport capture and upload functionality is available first on Android tablets
• Live and on-demand video, plus CNN Radio updates
• Available for free on Android Market

During the event, CNN vice president of mobile Louis Gump and CNN.com participation director Lila King demonstrated a select few of the application's features, including:

Broadsheet: This main screen makes a broad range of stories easily accessible to the user by presenting up to 350 of the latest news stories in a grid-format that features powerful imagery and headlines. Users can dive more deeply into a topic by selecting from the navigation fragment or by swiping left and right. Further, the customized action bar offers direct access to iReport, Live Video and CNN Radio updates.

Live Video: Taking advantage of Honeycomb’s HTTP live streaming capabilities, CNN is delivering raw domestic and international live feeds for major stories and in breaking news scenarios

iReport: This is the first time that iReport has been available on a tablet. The CNN App for Android lets users browse user-generated content; register, sign-in to their account or sign on as a guest to capture and instantly upload user-generated photos and videos (through the front and rear cameras). Users can also browse iReport’s latest “assignments,” asking the community to weigh in on various news stories. Honeycomb's status bar pops up in the notifications tray, which lets a user know that their story has been uploaded. It continues to upload even when the app is closed.

CNN Press Release - As part of its strategy to move into new frontiers of digital content creation and distribution, CNN has appointed Louis Gump vice president of mobile, it was announced today by KC Estenson, senior vice president and general manager of CNN.com. Gump recently was vice president of mobile for The Weather Channel Interactive, and will join CNN.com on Monday, July 27.

With a range of experiences including eight years in the wireless space and an additional six in business development and strategy, Gump will lead CNN’s mobile business from the company’s Atlanta headquarters, reporting directly to Estenson.

“For more than two years, CNN has been the No. 1 mobile news provider, and there is no better time than the present to take CNN’s mobile experience to new heights,” said Estenson. “Louis has a track record of success and is widely considered a driving force in the mobile industry; and I’m confident that his vision, energy and focus will take CNN mobile to the next level.”

“CNN already is in a position of strength in the mobile space, and the opportunity to further personalize and enrich the CNN experience on handsets is a challenge I’m enthusiastic about taking on,” Gump said. “CNN is committed to delivering news and information to people everywhere, all the time, on every platform, and I’m truly excited to work alongside such talented journalists and technologists to bring the full power of CNN to the mobile audience.”

At The Weather Channel since 2001, Gump held several other roles at the company, including director of business development and director of mobile products and services. Prior to joining The Weather Channel, he served as director of business development at ExpoExchange, product manager at 3MC and business strategy consultant for Accenture.

Since 2003, Gump has served on the Board of Directors for the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), for which he was Global Chairman in 2006. He was recently elected as MMA’s treasurer for the 2009-2010 term. He is active in other industry associations including the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), and participates in the organization’s Wireless Internet Caucus Leadership Council. Last year, he was also named one of the “Top Ten mobiThinkers” in the world, an award given by mobiThinking.com to recognize pioneers in mobile marketing.

Gump received his MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia and his bachelor’s degree from Duke University.

CNN.com is the world's No. 1 destination for online and wireless news, garnering the greatest audience share of total minutes among current events and global news sites. Launched in 1995, CNN.com draws from the resources of CNN Worldwide and its many partners to provide consumers with the most enriching, immediate interaction with news anywhere, seamlessly combining articles, videos, images, interactive features and user-generated content. CNN.com’s news video offering – both live and on-demand – is unparalleled on the Web. CNN.com’s recent awards include an Edward R. Murrow award, a National Headliner award, four EPpy awards and the Online News Association’s award for general excellence.