The BBC has launched its BBC News product for connected TVs. Combining existing video and text content from BBC News Online, it will initially be made available on Samsung’s range of Smart TVs but subsequently also on a range of connected devices.
Speaking at a specially organised press briefing in London, Ralph Rivera, director of Future Media for the BBC, said that the launch was part of a strategy of “one service, 10 products and four screens”.
BBC News had up until now been available on only three screens – there had so far been 6 million downloads of the BBC News app globally, of which half were in the UK – but now it had been extended to four.
He added that the new service was being provided through HTML and would offer viewers a web delivered experience.
Rivera stressed that the BBC sees itself in the role of a storyteller, with software being the enabler.
When questioned about the 25% budgetary cuts the Corporation is proposing, he said that the move was still in a consultation period, which is set to last another one to two months.
He added that reducing the number of websites the BBC operates would allow it to focus more on its core activities.
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