North West b.TWEEN TV Platforms: full brief

North West b.TWEEN TV Platforms

The BBC’s aim is to make available its TV and radio programming to everyone in the UK, at present the majority of viewers come from TV or Radio broadcasts but more and more this audience includes those accessing content Online, via Mobile and by finding BBC syndicated content on these devices.

The products created for these platforms have been made in-house or in tandem with Independent companies and over the years the BBC’s size of audience*1 has increased enormously on those platforms.

Choosing the right software technologies and then using them innovatively has been key, and the BBC wishes to continue to build the multi-platform products of the future but with your help!

We are looking to find talented engineers who combine great software skills with creative flair and who want to work with world-class content enhanced by the latest technological developments.

The broadcast landscape is shifting once more, with many, many devices coming into the market that combine TV broadcast with broadband capabilities. In effect, this allows viewers to continue to watch or listen to BBC on TV but with the added benefit of linking broadband-delivered content to their favourite programme. So imagine watching Gavin and Stacey but being able to message all your mates all on the TV screen or show your family the latest holiday snaps on their own TVs!

BBC Future Media TV Platforms’ team is at the forefront of designing products that combine this world of broadband and broadcast and this team is also heading to Salford in 2011, with an advance team due by end of 2009.

Whether it is creating content that sits easily behind BBC programming (The Apprentice predictor on TV); creating simple games (an Eastenders quiz) to offering more ways to communicate via TV (Skype on your TV?); we know that never has the “convergence” of broadband and broadcast felt so timely and offered so many opportunities.

So if you can think you have skills in Flash, Java and XML or other latest software, understand how to get best out of feed-driven content and can conjure up ways of using them to deliver great BBC Products for TV; then enter your idea here

Key aim:
Pitch a prototype product based on existing web-based technologies that will work on a TV screen. Bear in mind how the TV experience is different to that Online, with viewers normally sitting back, relaxed and using a “shared screen” within a family living room.
Use BBC programming to drive your product.

The winning pitches will then be linked to Companies based in the North-West who will manage build of prototypes and then submitted these back to the BBC later in 2009 fore review.

Selection Criteria:

- How well does the proposal meet the BBC’s strategic requirements against the brief?

- Does the proposal deliver the desired benefits to the BBC and its audience?

- Does the application highlight how this could be delivered against skills capability?

- Does the proposal demonstrate an understanding of creativity required when using Red Button services?