ITV launches local broadband 'narrowcasting' television service pilot

ITV has announced the launch of a pilot broadband television service aimed at viewers in Brighton and Hastings.
Available online, the new 'narrowcasting' channels will include local news, weather, local films, an entertainment guide, community video and classified advertising.
While the new service is targeted at people living in Brighton and Hastings, it is available to anyone to view online at www.itvlocal.tv.
ITV hope that narrowcasting wil provide a route into local classified advertising market for the first time, enabling people to buy and sell online under the brand 'ITV Local'.
Viewers will be encouraged to provide and upload their own ‘Citizen’s TV’ reports and a partnership deal with Screen South will allow young filmmakers to premiere their films on ITV Local. The three month trial will test consumer demand and, if successful, ITV plans to expand the services to other parts of the UK.
Jeff Henry, Director of ITV Consumer said: “We are committed to using the latest technology to allow viewers to access ITV content and commercial services in the widest possible way.
“ITV Local will use the ITV brand to entertain and inform, build communities and encourage participation at a local level. If this is successful we believe there is a great opportunity for a commercial broadcaster like ITV to move into new markets such as local classified advertising. We are very excited about the outcome of this trial and I look forward to results in the New Year.”
Lindsay Charlton, ITV Meridian MD and ITV Local Project Director, said: “The rapid advance in the number of broadband homes in the UK, combined with improvements in streaming technology, has transformed the opportunities for local broadcasting. By combining our traditional broadcasting expertise with the opportunities of the web, we are creating something truly unique.
“ITV has been proud of its regional services for 50 years, but until now we haven’t had the delivery systems to provide a truly local service. I am delighted Brighton and Hastings have been chosen to pilot this service and I am looking forward to getting detailed feedback from local residents.”
More than eight million homes have broadband connections in the UK and according to Ofcom figures, 250,000 new households are signing up for broadband each month. Around 28% of people in Brighton and Hastings have access to broadband internet at home, slightly higher that the national average of 22%.
The ITV Local pilot is being run in partnership with Narrowstep Ltd, a web channels specialist responsible for developing the High TV broadband service.
There are seven different channels on each service and the ability to view content live, on demand, in a 24 x 7 schedule and via a searchable archive. The 'free-to-air' service will only be available on broadband at data rates ranging from 56Kbps to 800Kbps.
Narrowstep CEO, Iolo Jones said: "This is a seminal day in the development of broadband TV. The era of narrowcasting has arrived."
The service will soon enable viewers to contribute and upload their own content through a special encoder developed by Narrowstep for ITV Local.
Viewers will also be able to add their own classified advertising for cars, homes, lonely hearts and anything else they wish to sell locally or nationally.
TelVOS system is already used by Telewest (UK Cable) for their blueyonder tv service, with five 24 x 7 scheduled channels on broadband, as well as over fifty other channels, including High TV and Cycling TV.
(SP)