BBC Revamps Interactive Services For Digital Generation
The BBC is relaunching its interactive television services with improved functionality, in attempt to make them more accessible to digital viewers.
The improved BBCi service is intended to simplify the interactive experience by providing viewers with a single point of entry for all interactive TV programmes and information services regardless of platform.
A range of video content has been added to enhance the viewing of interactive events such as Wimbledon and Test The Nation, with extra functionality and expanded content designed to broaden the appeal of entertainment and lifestyle programming.
The first expanded content areas are due to launch this month to digital satellite viewers and later this summer to digital terrestrial audiences on Freeview. Work is also underway for digital cable services, with a full roll out across all platforms expected by summer 2004.
Commenting on the initiative, BBCi’s head of 24/7 television, Emma Somerville, said: “Our aim is is to create something that exploits the extra capabilities of digital while remaining easy to use so that we can encourage viewers to use the service, as part of our remit of helping to drive digital take-up.”
She added: “We want to develop our existing service for the digital generation so that they will be as easy to use and as trusted as CEEFAX has been for analogue audiences.”
Telewest recently expanding its interactive offering with the launch of a range of new services designed to improve the viewing experience for some of this summer’s biggest TV events, including Wimbledon and Big Brother (see Telewest Goes Interactive For Summer TV Events).
The latest figures from the ITC show that more than 41% of UK households currently have access to digital TV and growth is expected to be accelerated over the coming months by the increasing demand for digital terrestrial services (see Feature: Flipping The Digital Switch).
The surprise growth of Freeview recently prompted E-Commerce Minister, Stephen Timms, to reaffirm the Government’s commitment to switching off the analogue signal by the current 2010 deadline (see Government Minister Insists Digital Deadline Will Be Met).
BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk
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