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The ABC launched iView – its free internet TV service last night making it the first Aussie network to really deliver comprehensive content online.
The ABC launched iView its free internet TV service last night making it the first Aussie network to really deliver comprehensive content online. Unlike the other networks which upload mainly teasers and program excepts with a smattering of full episodes, the ABC will offer five new channels:
ABC CatchUp: featuring 19 weekly programs available online for up to a week after their broadcast on ABC1 or ABC2, including The Hollowmen, Q&A and The Gruen Transfer
ABC News: featuring news excerpts and programs;
ABC Kazam!, a children’s fantasy channel; documentary channel
ABC Docs
ABC Arts.
There are currently 72 online programs available – that’s over 40 hours of screentime – with the ABC planning to expand this later.
“As a public broadcaster we can no longer say that what we do is put a program to air once at, say, 9pm on a Wednesday and if the audience doesn’t watch it, bad luck, they have to wait for a repeat six months later,” said ABC director of television Kim Dalton.
“People don’t relate to TV that way any more.”
So far this year, 18 million vodcasts have been downloaded from more than 20 ABC TV programs.
“It has surprised us, and even though we had a huge peak last year with Summer Heights High and The Chaser’s War On Everything, our vodcasts are slightly ahead of last year and it’s across a range of programs, not just one or two hits,” Mr Dalton said.
There’s also good news for ABC fans that are with ISP iiNet – who last night announced that the new ABC iView service would be quota free for its customers…
Source:
The Australian IT
