>>>BBC News INTERACTIVE - 18 mnths after SKY NEWS

BBC will have interactive news up & running by the end of 2001. Apparently they already been advertising job positions. They're panicking because of the success of Sky News Active NEWS ON DEMAND - especially @ election

Do you have any proof that they are panicing?

Or is that your opinion blurting out...

Every channel is going to have an interactive service before long. It's just the next evolution of television. If the beeb weren't developing an interactive News service then it would be a problem. Yes, Sky News was the first to have the programme, but someone has to be first!

If you want to put things like that SkyNews, Everyone copied BBC for having a teletext service, Sky copied BBC by launching sky text. and so on.

Someone must be first yes, but does that mean people cant improve upon that by launching a better service.

Since BBC same on air decades before Sky, how could Sky have 'beaten' them to it. However in terms of digital, both are on/have been on a level playing field. BBC just didn't invest in it/didn't have the expertise.

Why have you posted this now ? This was news months ago and has been mentioned here before! Take a tip from the news channels - don't read out stories that happened months ago.

Sky News have had more expertise in 24-hour news because they've been on longer. IMO, the BBC have been concentrating on getting N24 up to scratch with the audiences over the past four years and now feel they can add features such as an interactive section.

And how do you know they're panicking? Has there been an official statement? Do you know this is true or is it simply one of your biased views?

Cheers, Asa

Yeah but don't forget Asa, they still haven't got the audiences to justify spending as much money on the channel as they do, hence the inquiry.

Agreed, as much as I'd like to see these services come available, I can understand other broadcasters getting annoyed.

ITV's attack at the Beeb for their DSat interactive Wimbledon coverage (I'll be there - look out for me at No.1 court on Monday ) was completely unjustified as they have been happily promoting the DTT version for 2(?) years now without Sky complaining.

Cheers, Asa

I'm glad that News24 is getting an interactive service, it means that at last the BBC appear to be treating it as a seperate service instead of just an 'add-on' to BBC News.
I think that perhaps this aston they are using also gives them that little more independence from mainstream BBC News, which can only be a good thing, or it would be if the aston wasn't so annoying!

Actually, look at what both services are planning for their interactive services... News24 launch a service, Sky upgrade their current one (the 8 feeds will be added soon), it would actually be suggesting that it is Sky who are fearful of a News24 interactive service, especially as the BBC have such great powers to promote News24 on BBC One and 2, as well as Radio and Online.
And whilst the Sky plans were made well in advance of a BBC annoucement about News24 Interactive or whatever it is to be called, they will probably now do more than they were planning.
This is why competition is good, it keeps companies on their toes!

Here is an interesting bit of prose for you:

419 I have had this debate before with Nick Pollard. The BBC has launched a news channel which no one seems to watch which cost about three times the cost of Sky News. What I want to understand is how can a public service broadcaster not only launch a news channel which it has no currency for, because no one seems to watch it on digital, and why is it three times more expensive?


(Mr Pollard) I think the explanation for that really has to go to the overall structure of the BBC and the BBC news operation. It is a very effective news-gathering organisation but, having worked there albeit some time ago, I know how bureaucratic and heavy on administration with layers of decision-taking BBC News can be. It is my view that certainly for a 24 hour news operation and some sort of interactive fast moving news operation, I do not really think that is the right way to do it. I think you have to let people take the decisions, get on with the job, without second-guessing them all the time. I think it is instructive that on many big stories over the past couple of years since the start of News 24, Sky News has been immediately ahead and has frankly had a much better result than News 24 because News 24 is not very flexible, it is weighed down I think by its decision-making process and I think that is what adds to the cost of it.

Sir Christopher Bland appeared to be offering a static prospect for News 24 as it now exists, whereas rival news providers, including ITN and BSkyB, are already providing interactive services which offer a better service than BBC News 24. With these choices available to digital subscribers, we are therefore sceptical of the value of News 24 in relation to what the BBC says it costs.

-- Perhaps they are just launching the service to say that they are not offering 'static prospects' for News24, so that this may help them in the investigations into News24?

Info from Press Gazette when it arrived!

Why DO Emap produce Press Gazette & Media Week - the latter I find awful? PG is a much superior product with Dog being far more entertaining that MW's attempt.

Well. I got OnDigital first before I got Sky and BBC Digital Text was out long before Sky had even launched it's interacive services. The only one out at the time was Open....