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Channel 4 Launches A
Dedicated Interactive Channel On Sky
Posted: November 26th, 2002.
Channel 4 announced the launch of its permanent interactive television service,Four Active; the first of its kind to offer viewers access to extracontent behind individual programmes as well as familiar services such asshopping and banking. Four Active launches following an agreement with BSkyBand will be the platform for all the Channel’s current and future interactiveapplications.
Digital satellite viewers can access interactive content behind the Channel’sprogrammes and services at any time by simply pressing the red button. There’sinformation and features on current and upcoming programmes as well as a rangeof interactive goods and services such as retail, email through your TV andbanking and while browsing, viewers can continue to watch Channel 4 and E4 inquarter screen.
Four Active launches with Celebrity Big Brother and offers viewers the chanceto watch alternative live video streams, a first for Celebrity Big Brother.
Building on the success of popular Channel 4 interactive applications ondigital satellite such as Banzai, 15-1 and Big Brother, the new service alsooffers voting options, interactive games including Two Way TV’s popularword game String Em In and a selection of other games currently in development.Further developments will include chat and a number of new generic applications.
Designed by Channel 4 and tentendigital and developed by Sky’s in-houseinteractive developers, Four Active will be available to all UK digitalsatellite viewers from November 20th 2002.
Gerry Bastable, Managing Director of Digital Services said,“Viewers want the option of more interactivity on television. Having apermanent behind screen presence also opens up exciting creative opportunitiesand makes great business sense. We are delighted to be working closely withBSkyB to make this happen on digital satellite first and hope to roll outsimilar services on cable in the future”.
Richard Freudenstein, Director of Channels, BSkyB said“This is just the latest example of Channel Four’s commitment to the digitalsatellite platform and a recognition that interactivity has an important roleto play in driving channel tune-in and loyalty – as well as educating theconsumer about the benefits of digital TV”.
News page content input by Dominic Robinson, 2002.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.