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GB iTV 03

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9 July 2003. This evening seminar looks at the current state of interactive TV in Britain, and examines what kind of role independent producers and developers have in the industry.

In the last few years, the UK’s interactive TV industry has had considerable success in attracting audiences to individual programmes and sporting events, and several key players are now moving towards providing 24/7 interactive offerings.

But how far have we actually progressed towards developing and delivering original, imaginative and creative new forms of content for this new medium? What plans do the major players have for future development, how are the smaller independent channels surviving, and do independent producers and developers have any real role in the emerging marketplace?

In his keynote presentation at this evening seminar, Jonathan Webb, Director of Interactive Programming & Controller of Challenge & Trouble, Flextech, will elaborate on his recent comment that interactive TV must become more imaginative if it is to keep the public’s interest and attention beyond the novelty stage.

His comments will then be discussed by a panel of leading industry figures, including: Peter Good, Head of Interactive TV at Channel 4; Emma Somerville, Head of Interactive 24/7 at BBC Interactive TV; Jeff Zie, Development Director, Open TV; and Julianne Bowman, User Experience Architect, Ogilvy Interactive.

Refreshments will be provided after the talk.

Speaker Profiles

Jonathan Webb, Director of Interactive Programming & Controller of Challenge & Trouble, Flextech
Jonathan is director of Interactive Programming, responsible for Flextech’s channels Trouble, Bravo, LivingTV and Challenge. The role covers the development of the channels’ websites as well as Flextech’s interactive strategy across TV, broadband PC and mobile telephony. He was recently responsible for the relaunch of Challenge? As the world’s first fully interactive games network, including enhanced play-along TV and stand-alone arcade games. Jonathan started his career with Unilever, but joined The Family Channel in 1994. Following Flextech’s acquisition of the channel in 1996, Jonathan relaunched it as Challenge TV, and later the same year also assumed responsibility for UK Living, which he re-branded as Living. In 1997, Jonathan was promoted to head of marketing for Flextech TV and in 1999 became the company's director of brand development. Awards include Promax UK and Europe Gold Awards for Best PR Campaign (Endurance UK on Challenge TV) and Best Mixed Media Campaign for Living. Jonathan’s other passion is jazz.

Peter Good, Head of Interactive TV, Channel 4
Peter Good started his career on shoots for music videos with Phonogram Records, before moving to MTV Networks, where he was in charge of music policy. In 1998 Good devised and launched MTV's first digital TV channel M2 (now MTV2), one of the first TV and web convergent concepts, and winner of a Promax award and interactive BAFTA. Good launched a further 3 channels for MTV, including MTV Base, and was also responsible for new media projects for MTV UK. In 2000 Good joined Channel 4 as Head of Interactive Television, with a remit for developing interactive and enhanced TV services across Channel 4, FilmFour and E4. His team launched Channel 4's first iTV show, Banzai, in January 2001. This was followed by the interactive TV version of Big Brother, widely regarded as the most successful interactive TV project ever in the UK, and used by more TV viewers than any previous interactive format. In November 2002 Good's team launched 4 Active, a permanent iTV presence behind Channel 4 and E4 providing access to iTV games, quizzes and votes.

Emma Somerville, Head of Interactive 24/7, BBC Interactive TV
Emma Somerville started in New Media by setting up the first Teletext web site in 1993, later winning Yell award for Best Online publication. She then moved to BiB (later Open Interactive), where she worked on content services for the first Interactive DSAT service launched in 1999. When the company was taken over by Sky her role expanded to looking after ETV services and content for Sky Active platforms. Emma joined the BBC in September 2002. BBCi's Interactive TV 24/7 group is responsible for permanent 'stand-alone' iTV services like news, sport, weather, travel and user-generated content across all DTV platforms. Originally text only, 24/7 services now provide rich graphics, games, quizzes and video services. A total redesign throughout the summer of 2003 will radically change navigation and expand the content strategy.

Jeff Zie, Development Director, Open TV
Jeff Zie combines creative and commercial acumen in the drive to improve the user experience delivered through iTV. Having driven PlayJam into launch and beyond with a successful channel team, Zie is now involved with the planning and implementation of Static's activities. Zie joined Static from BSkyB New Media where he was Director of Operations and Product Development, responsible for enhanced TV and online activities. Zie was previously with Microsoft and has held strategic, creative director and design positions with leading advertising agencies and media companies in Europe and Asia. He was responsible for the concept development of BSkyB's enhanced TV offerings and has developed numerous successful online brands including MSNUK, Sky.com, FHM and EmpireOnline.

Julianne Bowman, User Experience Architect, Ogilvy Interactive
Julianne started her career as an IT writer and technical editor. Soon she combined her understanding of human learning patterns with interactive design – specifically information architecture, content strategy and user interface design. To meet the needs of both marketers and consumers she specialised in interactive communications, from content-modeling to user research, library sciences, human-computer interaction, strategy planning and web metrics. Since joining Ogilvy in Sept 2000, she has added traditional market research and account planning techniques to her sources of customer insights. She has worked for clients including Cisco, Royal Mail, GlaxoSmithKline, Blue Square, Royal & Sun Alliance, American Express, Ford GB and Vodafone, and her work spans websites, intranets, mobile devices, games, dITV and integrated online campaigns.

David Docherty, Chief Executive, YooPublica
David was formerly the BBC's first Director of New Media responsible for launching most of its digital services, as well as Deputy Director of Television. He was subsequently Chairman of Living Health Channel and then Managing Director of Broadband Content at cable company, Telewest. David is a novelist and Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Universtiy of Luton.
YooPublica, a new wholly owned subsidiary of the interactive TV company YooMedia PLC ( www.yoomedia.com), has been set up to deliver interactive TV and mobile content and applications to all public bodies - including Local Authorities, national Government and the NHS. YooPublica will not only bring together media, marketing and technology expertise to deliver technically secure and robust applications and will develop content that will build large audiences for the next generation of public service channels. The company will also act in consortium with others to bid for government services that use iTV and mobile as part of a wider project.

Produced by Stephen Jeffery-Poulter, and presented in association with:

This event is supported by Business Link for London (www.bl4london.com )

Location

BAFTA