BBC Extends Podcasting Trial With Five Live Content
The BBC has extended its trial of the latest podcasting technology, enabling listeners to download Five Live’s Fighting Talk programme, hosted by Christian O’Connell, for later listening on a portable mp3 player.
The move allows listeners to download the verbal sparring show automatically to their computer for use at a later date. The decision to include Fighting Talk in the trial follows what the corporation claims was a successful debut of the service with Radio 4’s In Our Time last year (see BBC Claims Success For Radio Download Service).
The Corporation logged more than 70,000 downloads of In Our Time in its first month of availability, while more than 170,000 copies of the show, hosted by Melvyn Bragg, have been downloaded since its launch. The show is currently off-air, but the BBC has vowed to resume podcasting when it returns in February.
The decision to boost the fledgling download service follows an extensive overhaul of the BBC’s online Radio Player software earlier this month. The updated service now allows listeners to pause a programme at any point, switch off the computer and then resume listening from that point at any time during the seven days in which the programme is available. The service also allows listeners to explore other content without interrupting the listening experience.
The revamped Radio Player also offers users around 500 extra hours of programming, including more than 80 extra programmes, making virtually all of the BBC’s national radio output available on-demand (see BBC Boosts Radio Player To Increase Online Listening).
The BBC’s latest usage figures show that more than 10 million hours of its radio content is consumed online each month, with 4 million hours of on-demand audio consumed over the Christmas period alone.
Radio 4’s The Archers is currently the most listened to on-demand programme, with an impressive 438,000 requests during December, pushing Radio 1’s Chris Moyles into second place with 350,790 requests over the same period.
BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk
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