As different types of content (text, music, audiovisual, interactive entertainment, videogames and cultural spaces) converge into digital, the iTV Unit is reshaping its core activity in a bid to assist new-media and cross-media departments in EBU member organizations to share organizational strategies and projects, and possibly also to coproduce innovative content involving at least two distribution platforms.
There is still a vague understanding of how cross-media can enhance regular TV content: it can certainly increase the number of viewers and the time they spend watching a programme, but it can do so much more.
A multi-device content-distribution strategy built around a TV programme could allow broadcasters to boost consumer loyalty and enhance the viewing experience; it can extend the brand to the largest number of platforms possible but it can also be a great challenge for TV professionals who have to deal with a different mind-set when it comes to producing content (e.g. visual, structural, narrative and usability).
Besides being responsible for all new media content production (e.g. online, mobile and user-generated content) for the Eurovision Song Contest and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest official websites, the iTV Unit is organizing several activities in order to build up a pan-European cross-media community:
CrossmediaČ
A square, a piazza, where users can find out about the latest trends in multi-platform content distribution and test the latest technologies. CrossMediaČ is an annual event held in Lucerne during the annual TV Summit and is open all year online (with updates and content from past events)
TXT and Subtitling Expert Group
with the aims of coordinating a sharing activity, technical and operational resources, as well as strategies and research results in teletext and subtitling.
Meeting with...
a series of workshops, organized in collaboration with EBU International Training to allow EBU members to meet commercial companies with the support of EBU technical and legal advice. In September the first "Meeting with..." was with Google/YouTube (PDF), and it got an impressive response from members.
Mobile Group Activity
a recent experts group created to deal with mobile issues. The iTV Unit in particular deals with content creation for mobile platforms. The group has produced a study that is to be presented at the next General Assembly.
OLS group activities
the iTV Unit is in constant collaboration with the IOLS group to identify speakers and organize events. Report of the last meeting (PDF)
Photo credit: © S.Hayward-Gettyimages
