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Interactive Programming Launched By Carlton Television

Interactive Programming Launched By Carlton Television

Carlton Television has launched an interactive element to its Carlton Food Network and Carlton Cinema digital channels. Called Carlton Active, the free service allows viewers to access extra information about programmes or advertised products using their remote control.

Carlton has already attracted advertisers Proctor and Gamble, for Bounty and Max Factor, the AA, Onken and M & G Financial Services to have six advertisements appearing per day for two months. The extra information accessed by viewers will include competitions and advice such as make-up and cookery tips.

“We believe that this initiative will bring at least an additional £200m to TV,” says Martin Bowley, Carlton Media Sales chief executive and chairman of Carlton Active. Onken have also signed up for interactive sponsorship of a programme. Carlton Active is looking to attract another ten brands for similar interactive sponsorship and advertising deals.

The system works by showing a viewer a message at the bottom of the screen, prompting them to press “text” on their remote control. On Carlton Food Network doing so will shrink the screen to quarter size, while information such as recipe details fills the rest of the space. On Carlton Cinema the TV image is replaced by information on subjects like the film’s plot, actors and directors, or a list of other films running that day. In both cases, the sound remains audible. The advertisements work in the same way, with access to pages of information on the product.

The company has suggested that such interactivity could be an opportunity for e-commerce, whereby viewers could, for example, order the book that accompanies a series while they are watching it.

The development of Carlton Active has taken around 18 months and it is currently available to viewers of Carlton Food Network and Carlton Cinema on ONdigital. From autumn it should also be rolled out to digital terrestrial viewers in the Carlton region, and when technology allows it will be made available to digital cable subscribers.

Carlton Television: 020 7240 4000

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