STV’s news output is expected to be available via an application on the iPhone and iPod Touch from next month.
Comprising text and moving images, the application is being announced today by the Glasgow-based broadcaster as part of an overall promotion of its digital services, including a TV programmes catch-up facility on its website.
How the application will work is illustrated on a short video appearing on the website.
STV is planning to apply to Apple’s App Store early next month, to make the app available. And for free.
Says a news story on the broadcaster’s website: “STV Player, which offers an online catch-up service with up-to-date and archive programming from STV, including Coronation Street, The Hour and classics such as Take the High Road, will also be made available on mobile devices.
“Part of this is driven by a new version of Adobe’s Flash, which will at last make video available on handheld platforms including RIM Blackberry phones, the Palm Pre, Nvidia-powered netbooks and Google’s Android devices. STV Player was recently chosen by Adobe to showcase the new technology in a demonstration alongside the New York Times and Fox News at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.”
The report continues: “The wider range of websites within STV’s network will follow in a mobile-friendly format later in the year, and will include STV Local, which offers more than 200 ultra-local Scottish sites featuring news, sport, jobs, reviews and business listings across the country. The sites will automatically tailor their content to the reader’s location where possible, but will be available on a wide range of smartphones and mobile devices.”
Says STV’s head of digital at STV, Alistair Brown, in a media release: “STV has a wealth of content available and we’re striving to make this as readily and widely available as possible, across multi-platforms. We recognise that users don’t want to be chained to a PC or laptop any more so we want STV audiences to access and consume our content where, when and how they want it.”
He continued: “This strategy will expose potential audiences to the diverse range of content we already produce, but also broadens the base for user-generated features, localisation and community engagement – for example news articles, pictures, comment, ratings and recommendations.”
