BBC furthers its iPlayer - ITV opens broadband channels

BBC hope its iPlayer will become available later this year, ITV launch local channels

19 April 2007 15:29 GMT / By Ryan Haynes

BBC has pushed further their position to place historic TV programmes online for readily available downloads.

The BBC iPlayer, designed to offer a 7-day catch-up service for viewers who can download content onto their computers, is expected to be launched a little later in the year. The company has also confirmed it will be available on Apple Macs too.

Initially only 5000 were expected to trial the product, but this has now been extended to 20,000. The BBC website will host full-length programmes, scripts and notes on the TV shows. The organisation hope that all programmes ever broadcast will in time become available, as the largest accessible BBC archive.

In future the BBC hope to also make the material available on digital TV and set-top boxes, in an aim to make the BBC totally interactive.

The pilot will see 1000 hours of content drawn from a mix of genres to a closed number of people being made available. About 50 hours of radio and TV programmes will be made available in an open environment for general access.

While ITV announced that its new broadband TV service, ITV Local London, has launched 39 TV channels as part of London Life. Based on user-generated content London Life will offer a local TV service reflecting the lives of people where they live. The channels will showcase the work of local factual film and documentary makers.

Full tags

Software, Online, BBC, Video on demand, ITV