Strictly speaking, this may not exactly be on topic for the radio lists but
I am posting it for information and maybe to help anybody who has digital
television.

From: "Andy" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 12:08:57 +0100

BBC's interactive services aim to get the vote of the viewer 
As the country goes to the polls on June 7, the BBC is offering digital
viewers a chance to capture every result coming in with a range of
interactive services on all digital television platforms, to keep them in
the thick of the Election action.

The showpiece of the interactive services is a Vote 2001 Interactive
Election Special on the digital terrestrial platform. Created by BBC News
in
conjunction with BBC New Media, the service offers everything from a
textual
breakdown of declared seats and visual representations of the leading
parties, to a fun interactive quiz for those wanting to take a break from
the electoral tension. 

Digital terrestrial viewers tuning in to the BBC's election coverage on
digital BBC ONE and NEWS 24 access the service by pressing the red button
on
their handset or through the shortcuts key while accessing BBC Text. The
picture shrinks to quarter screen and offers the following options:

* Results - An alphabetical guide to each constituency in the UK -
from Aberavon to Yorkshire East - with results of declared seats announced
as they happen.
* Battlegrounds - A visual guide depicting the seats Labour need to
retain power, and those the Conservatives need to win to take the majority.
* Swing with Snow - The swingometer made famous by Peter Snow offers
viewers a visual guide to shifts in support between the two main parties.
This section also includes a selection of colourful statistics no political
junky should be without, broken down by nations and regions (where
applicable) and offering comparable results from the '97 Election. State of
the parties provides a breakdown of Parliament's 659 seats by party; Share
of the Vote gives a percentage view of how each of the main parties fared
in
the polls; while Turnout and Votes provides an insight into the percentage
of those eligible who did go to the polls. Latest Prediction is based on
the
BBC's exit poll and offers a forecast based on the trends shown by these
counts. As the evening progresses and seats are declared the predicted
result becomes more precise.
* Latest news headlines - Find out who's out and who's in as the votes
decide the fate of the political heavyweights.
* What's happening - A timetable of events outlining when seats are
expected to be declared.
* Quiz - Viewers can take a break from the tension and test their
political nous by pitting themselves against the interactive quiz.

The service will continue the following day, so that the final result in
Northern Ireland can be included, along with a full archive of the results.

As the BBC is the only UK broadcaster with digital services on the three
major television platforms, it will also be offering digital cable and
digital satellite viewers text services to keep them up to speed on the
latest Election news. 

Digital cable viewers with Telewest have benefited from a comprehensive
information service in the run up to the Election. The service provides
viewers with content ranging from the latest stories on the campaign trail,
and a guide to parties and their policies to details of the latest opinion
polls. On election night, viewers will access the Vote 2001 service through
the BBC News page. There they will have access to:

* Election News - Breaking stories on who's in and who's out, as and
when it happens.
* Election Latest - Up-to-the-minute statistics including the UK share
of the vote, the latest results, details of how the well-known names are
doing and projected results based upon a BBC exit poll.
* Constituency Results - A comprehensive guide to the results of each
constituency, outlining how each party has fared. Results are broken down
by
Nation and English Region.
* State of the Parties - A breakdown of each party's seats in
Parliament by Nation and English Region.

By pressing the text key on their handset, digital satellite viewers access
the Vote 2001 service through BBC Text, where they will find:

* Election News - All the latest stories on who's won and who's lost,
dynamically updated as the news breaks
* Election Latest - Every statistic needed, including voter turn-out,
up-to-the-minute results, and latest predictions based on a BBC exit poll
* Constituency Results - As the seats are declared, the winning party
is announced in each constituency - from Aberavon to Yorkshire East.
* State of the Parties - Every party's seats in the new Parliament,
broken down by Nation and English Region.

Scott Gronmark, BBC Head of Interactive Television says, "These interactive
services are designed to complement the BBC's comprehensive coverage of the
Election. At the touch of a button, our licence fee payers have access to
the information and results they want, so they know who is in charge of the
country as soon as the Prime Minister does."




Colin R. Howard
[log in to unmask]

"Microsoft - a triumph of marketing over reality"


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