Big TV launches interactive election news with CNN-IBN.
The Reliance ADAG Group’s direct-to-home (DTH) venture Big TV has announced the launch of interactive election special as part of their interactive service named iNEWS.
This service is launched in association with CNN-IBN and the offering is an enhanced value added service available to all Big TV subscribers. The interactive television application allows viewers to access current news and information, short text based stories, headlines and tickers.
Big TV viewers through iNEWS can watch news and navigate through an 8-window PIP mosaic of video feed options. The user screen includes dedicated news and highlight feeds as well as an access to sub genre-based text news stories, news headlines and tickers.
This election tie-up is a way to attract new TV buyers as sales generally spikes up during election and IPL season and would surely help in bringing traditional TV watchers to DTH fold.
Currently Big TV Offers most advanced MPEG4 DTH technology platform enabling them to offer over 200 channels which they plan to to double in coming months.
The DTH market in India stands at roughly nine million subscribers, which is about 10 per cent of the 85 million C&S homes in the country. However, industry estimates predict DTH to touch 25 million subscribers by 2012, and that’s the number that every DTH brand has set its sights on.
Reliance Big TV aims to garner 40% share of DTH pie in the next one year.
NDTV Convergence launches Election site.
In an effort to serve the election hungry audience NDTV has launched their election site, elections.ndtv.com.
This is precursor to upcoming general elections and would help NDTV to attract users with an eye on complete election news and updates. This site would keep its readers abreast with latest updates, happenings and knowledge about political parties, their manifestos and the candidate’s profiles with collection of featured shows, related videos and interviews of political big wigs
The most distinctive feature of the site is the Virtual election, a platform that lets the user float his own political party with personal agenda. Although they could have gone ahead and allowed virtual voting for those parties which would have made more viral impact.
Some of the many highlights of the site include historic data of elections, poll-o-meter predictions, debates, state diaries, picture galleries, special reports, schedules , NDTV Election express live and also allows online poll and make a speech that could define the mood of the citizens.
Sanjay Trehan, CEO, NDTV Convergence said, “With the election fever in full swing, we want to provide our readers with the information they need to keep themselves updated and informed. Our various interactive features like opinion polls, forums, blogs by our famous anchors truly empower our readers to engage with NDTV and also build awareness about the political system amongst our younger audiences.”
The election season would reap good rewards for media and entertainment related sector and would also help to put politicians on their toes.
