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Cross-media applications

TV on internet upsets all the rules. It makes tv broadcasts potentially interactive; but interactive tv by the four colour knobs is dead (see Channel 4 in the UK, which stopped investing in it). But internet extensions to tv broadcast are interesting. This was the start of cross-media with programs like Big Brother. Have a tv broadcast and surround it with other media supporting the tv theme.

Liesbeth van de Kar, project manager at NPS department of New Media showed four examples of tv activities which have gotten an internet extension. Sesamstreet is a favourite one in the Netherlands with kids composing their own home page with Bert and Ernie and other figures from the series.
Last year the Sketchstudio was introduced. Youngsters could produce their own story; if wanted they could use video and audio fragments of their own. It was a real hit. No less than 650.000 sketches were received by the tv station. Some were selected to be shown in a regular program. In the wake of this success the NPS is now developing the Gamestudio, with which they can develop their own game.
New Arrivals is a movie site with short movies. In co-operation with the Filmfestival of Rotterdam there was a call to send in short movies made by professionals. An average of 30 movies is now being entered monthly. Every month a winner is selected by a jury. In January 2007 the ten winners will be shown on television. The other movies might be selected for transmission through the internet channel Culture of the NPS.
Fok jou, a drama series, was shown late at night. Too late to draw crowds. In order to pick up some audience, it was decided to cast it as an internet channel and to cast it in five instalments on mobile television. In fact, the premiere was through mobile. The series yielded 150.000 streams by 80.000 visitors on internet and mobile, while on traditional tv 250.000 people looked.

Peter Mechels from KHLim and ZOOOM.com held a surrealistic presentation, entitles Welcome to Eternity. He stated that there was not point of return in the digital (r)evolution. For him content is king, but context is the maitresse. The brand is the co-producer, while the station is the gateway.

Tags: cross-media

Blog Posting Number: 415