ITN Signs Up For GreenGrass Web TV

GreenGrass, a new technology firm promising to make web TV a viable experience for viewers, has signed its first high profile content provider, with ITN News the first broadcaster to appear on its trial platform.

The service, which will launch officially next year, is built specifically for web viewers, with a pre-paid credit system allowing viewers to choose different quality video feeds.

Along with two sports channels and a music channel, ITN News will use the system to provide up to the minute bulletins to customers who buy credits from GreenGrass in the same way as pre-pay mobile phone customers top up their mobile accounts.

GreenGrass’s model charges customers on a per-minute basis, with broadcasters allowed to set their own prices. The system is capable of providing both live and on-demand content to users.

“We’re aiming to address the key issues that have been restricting use of the Internet by broadcasters,” GreenGrass’s CEO Alex Taylor told journalists. “Via the Internet, broadcasters have a direct route to a global market, and the cost of set up is relatively low. If they tried to run their channel on Sky’s platform they would incur huge up front costs – often £1m over three years – and have to wait six to nine months to get on the programme guide.”

A number of web-based TV offerings have surfaced in recent months, with the BBC and Sky both working on their own services. The BBC’s take on the technology, dubbed MyBBCPlayer, was unveiled by director general Mark Thompson at the Edinburgh International TV Festival last month (see Thompson Announces On Demand Programming From BBC), while Sky’s plans were unveiled in June (see Sky To Provide Content Via Internet Downloads).

ITN: 020 7430 4700 www.itn.co.uk