PBS and BBC Move Forward With Internet-TV Projects

PBS and BBC Move Forward With Internet-TV Projects

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) have disclosed plans to launch Internet-only programming, starting this September. The PBS Internet TV show, dubbed ‘NerdTV’, is touted as the ‘funniest’ show on TV with the ‘nerdiest people in high-tech’. BBC is going to offer feature films over the Internet — as well as one-week old broadcasts of its news and public affairs programming.

NerdTV will have an uninterrupted hour with the smartest, funniest, and sometimes, nerdiest people in high-tech. Through NerdTV, a broad audience of enthusiasts and students will gain a much greater understanding of these techies and the context of their lives.

The hourly show will debut on September 6, and will have an initial run of 13 weeks. Once a show is broadcast over the Internet, it will continue to be available at the networks online archives. The content is available in MP4 video, and can be viewed in its hour-long entirety, or in smaller nuggets. An Internet-audio only version of the show will also be made available, in a number of formats, including MP3 Latest News about MP3 and many others.

“NerdTV viewers are actually encouraged to download and copy the shows, share them with friends, and even post them to their on Web sites,” said a PBS statement.

The show will be distributed under a so-called ‘Creative Commons’ license, enabling viewers to redistribute, or even edit, the shows, if they wish, Cindy Johanson, senior vice president of PBS Interactive Learning was reported to have said.

The producers expect that this model may change the way public television is distributed in the future. “NerdTV offers a cost-effective production model that may transform how programming is made in the future,” said Johanson.

PBS is enthusiastic about the possibilities for its new venture, which it characteristically views as educational, not entertainment and TV. The strength of this new medium can be found in how it serves niche audiences. This is where Internet distribution shines.

Mohen Naorem is currently working as Assistant Editor in www.efenbeonline.com