LESSONS LEARNED ON ITV
In the UK, where interactive television services are used by 23% of
households, companies are beginning to understand what it is consumers
want. "When interactive services were first switched on, it was thought
that most of the consumers' attention would be focused in the walled garden
or portal," says Dan Stevenson, a Jupiter MMXI analyst. Now, the focus has
changed and broadcasters are concentrating on the electronic program guide
as consumers find they need a high-tech navigation tool to find the
programs they want to watch. Aside from the programming guide, consumers
have also demonstrated interest in sending and receiving e-mail, gambling
and some interactive gaming. "We're all trying to figure out ways in which
we can create an experience that will make someone keep watching TV and we
will make some revenue on," says Mickey Kalifa, UK general manager of
OpenTV. "Two years ago, there were grand plans to have a very expensive
set-top box in which everything was converged -- the telephone, the
Internet and the TV. The broadcasters have realized that it does not make
any sense to offer a home that traditionally only spends £5-10 per month on
TV and telephone, a box that costs £500." (BBC News 1 Oct 2001)
news.bbc.co.uk |
