BARCELONA, Spain — The level of worldwide interest in mobile television remains low and its future is uncertain, a market researcher told the 3GSM World Congress, and distinct national preferences pose programming problems for providers in different countries.

David Willan, chairman of U.K.-based Circle Research said what viewers most want to watch on their cellphones depends a lot on where they live. According to a survey of 3,061 mobile TV consumers in 15 countries, said Willan, "There are significant country-to-country differences across the board, in terms of usage, in terms of different programming choices."

India, he said, for example, is the leading consumer of comedy clips. In Germany and England, the most heavily watched mobile TV programs are weather reports. Spaniards, Willan added, prefer soap operas. And who do you think, Willan asked his audience, leads the world in "adult" content consumption?

After a pregnant pause, he revealed that the most prurient Western nation—among those surveyed—is the Czech Republic. The most sex-obsessed Asians in the world, he added, are Malaysians.