At yesterday's Unleashing Mobile Advertising panel at the AlwaysOn conference yesterday in New York City, MediaPost reports that panelists said in order to make cell phones a viable ad platform, carriers, device makers and content providers need to simplify mobile media-buying and not try to pitch the devices as mini-TVs or Web sites.

CBS Mobile chief Cyriac Roeding went further, however. In a response to a question about the iPhone's breakthrough user interface, he went into full-on assault mode.

"How do we expect anyone to take this seriously as an advertising device if we keep telling them about the unbelievable complexity that arises out of the fact that we have 20 carriers in the U.S., then we have fundamental technologies, GSM and CDMA..." said Roeding, continuing with a litany of technical and service hurdles familiar to many cell phone subscribers, according to the report.

"So let's make it simpler—let's talk about usability, let's not talk about the next 15 menu items, and let's not try to copy another medium," he added, to spontaneous bursts of applause from the audience—and more than a few cell phone industry executives looking uncomfortable. Hear, hear.

CBS Mobile Chief: Wireless Industry Is Overwhelming Consumers [MediaPost]