Televisionation

Interview: ATAS IMPG Leaders Explain the Changes to the Interactive Media Awards for the 65th Primetime Emmys

Last month (see the article published on itvt.com, March 28th) the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Interactive Media Peer Group (IMPG) announced a number of changes to its Interactive Media Awards for the 65th Primetime Emmys. Among other things, it said that it would add a new category award for "Outstanding Interactive Program," and would expand its existing juried award for "Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media" to include four areas of competition: Multiplatform Storytelling, Original Interactive Program, Social TV Experience, and User Experience and Visual Design.

In this recorded interview with [itvt]'s Tracy Swedlow, Marc Johnson and Geoff Katz, co-chairs of the IMPG's Awards Working Group, and Michael Gregor, advisor to the Awards Working Group, explain the changes and the thinking behind them.

(Note: The deadline for submitting nominations for the Interactive Media Categories in the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards is May 3rd. More information is available here.)

Interview: Ensequence's Peter Low and National Geographic's Brad Dancer on National Geographic's Single-Screen Interactive TV Deployment on Dish Network

--Over a Six-Month Period, Viewers who Used National Geographic's "Sunday Night Interactive" Features Spent 25% Longer on the Channel

Last week (see the article published on itvt.com, April 10th), National Geographic Channel announced that the Ensequence-powered single-screen interactive TV features--including polls, trivia, previews and more--which it offers during primetime on Sunday nights on Dish Network, had proved so successful that it now intends to expand those features to additional programs and distribution channels. According to the network, between August 2012 and January 2013, viewers who used the ITV features spent 25% more time engaged with its programming than those who didn't.

In this recorded interview, Ensequence president and CEO, Peter Low, and Brad Dancer, SVP of audience and business development at National Geographic Channels, discuss the reasons behind the success of National Geographic's "Sunday Night Interactive" deployment on Dish, and outline their plans to expand it.

Interview: Theatrics Co-Founders, Tracy Evans and Bob Gebert, on the Company's Newly Launched Interactive Video Storytelling Platform

Last week, Theatrics launched its eponymous interactive video storytelling platform in beta. The platform is billed by the company as "a suite of social video tools that enable creators, brands, studios, and networks to bring their audience directly into a compelling and immersive online video experience" where "you create the story, characters, and vision" and "your audience and fans add their own creativity by performing in your show and interacting with the story and other users."

In this recorded interview with [itvt]'s Tracy Swedlow, Theatrics co-founders, COO Tracy Evans and VP of creative Bob Gebert, discuss the company's platform; its work with USA Network on "The S#cial Sector," an interactive, multiplatform murder-mystery experience for fans of the show, "Psych"; its experience producing "Beckinfield," an ongoing, multiplatform, participatory sci-fi series that has served as a proof-of-concept for the company's platform; and more.

Radio [itvt]: Fox, Watchwith, Dijit On Deal

"Will Rich, Interactive Media Transform Television?" at TVOT NYC Intensive 2012

[itvt] is pleased to present an audio recording of the session, "Will Rich, Interactive Media Transform Television?," which was one of the highlights of TVOT NYC Intensive 2012 (December 10th).

The session was described in the show brochure as follows:

"This 'show-and-tell' session will feature demos of rich, multifaceted, interactive platforms and services that suggest immersive new forms of content, marketing and monetization, as well as new kinds of relationships between the programmer, the marketer and the audience.

Following each demo, a panel of broadcast/network and pay-TV executives at the forefront of implementing interactive TV experiences will provide feedback on what they have just seen, explore its potential to enable new forms of televisual content and marketing, and discuss whether it can transform the business and experience of television as we know it today."

Interactive platform and service provider panelists included:
Tracy Evans, COO, Theatrics Jeff Fluhr, CEO, Spreecast Jury Hahn, CEO, Megaphone TV
Broadcaster/network and pay-TV panelists included:
Channing Dawson, Senior Advisor, Scripps Networks Lisa Hsia, EVP of Digital Media, Bravo Adam Lowy, GM of Interactive TV, DISH Network Jonathan Mallow, VP of Shows, Events and Ad Sales Production, VH1 Digital
Moderator: Tracy Swedlow, Editor-in-Chief, [itvt]

Radio [itvt]: Canoe Ventures - Chris Pizzurro

"Second-Screen Content: Have We Created a Monster?" at TVOT NYC Intensive 2012

"With new second-screen providers and apps coming online seemingly almost every day, the need for unique and original second-screen content is growing exponentially: Most second-screen providers are enhancing over 100 television channels, and they need to provide some kind of complementary content for each and every program. That literally means that they must generate more than 2,400 hours of content each day, every day--and that's only for one provider!

This session--moderated by [itvt] columnist Rick Howe, the iTV Doctor--will explore the process of creating unique second-screen content, and examine the issues to which this new form of content gives rise. Among other issues, panelists will attempt to ascertain whether anybody can actually measure who is using second-screen content; explore whether there is a business model that can support the second-screen content business as currently defined; examine the ways in which the rise of second-screen content presents risks and challenges for programmers and advertisers; and attempt to forecast whether and how the second-screen content business needs to adapt in order to survive."
Kevin Arrix, Chief Revenue Officer, Viggle David Cohn, Head of TV Partnerships, Shazam Meghann Sills Elrhoul, VP of Client Services and Analytics, Trendrr Rick Howe, The iTV Doctor (moderator) Anthony Rose, CTO, zeebox Ashley Swartz, Principal, Furious Minds Larry Taymor, CEO, ExMachina (US)The TV of Tomorrow Show 2013 will take place in San Francisco on June 25th and 26th. Tickets are available for purchase here.)

"Special Presentation and Q&A by zeebox Founder and CTO, Anthony Rose" at TVOT NYC Intensive 2012

[itvt] is pleased to present an audio recording of a special keynote presentation by zeebox founder and CTO, Anthony Rose, which was one of the highlights of TVOT NYC Intensive 2012 (December 10th).

The session was described in the show brochure as follows:

"Earlier this fall, high-profile UK second-screen interactive/social-TV company, zeebox, launched in the US and announced partnerships with Comcast, NBCUniversal, HBO and Cinemax. In this special presentation, zeebox Founder and CTO, Anthony Rose, will discuss the company's ongoing move into the US, and engage in a wide-ranging Q&A session with TVOT NYC Intensive attendees."

(Note: We have just announced our next TVOT event: The TV of Tomorrow Show 2013, which will take place in San Francisco on June 25th and 26th. Super Early-Bird tickets are available for purchase here.)

Interview: Joan Gillman, EVP & COO of Time Warner Cable Media

In this recorded interview with [itvt] editor-in-chief, Tracy Swedlow, Joan Gillman, EVP and COO of Time Warner Cable Media, discusses the current state of the advanced advertising space, outlines how Time Warner Cable is moving to embrace new forms of TV advertising on multiple platforms, and also discusses her own background and how she came to head up the advertising sales efforts of the US's second-largest cable MSO.

"Envisioning the Cable of Tomorrow" at TVOT NYC Intensive 2012

[itvt] is pleased to present an audio recording of the session, "Envisioning the Cable of Tomorrow," which was one of the highlights of TVOTNYC Intensive 2012 (December 10th).

The session was described in the show brochure as follows:

"This session will explore the future of the cable platform, business and user experience. Panelists will discuss such topics as the transition to IP; the development of the Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP); the incorporation of connected TV and other consumer electronics platforms into the cable ecosystem; multiplatform in-home and "TV Everywhere" streaming; managed home services such as broadband-based monitoring, security and automation; cloud-based services and user interfaces; personalization technologies; the future of cable user-interface design; new platforms that bring "TV Everywhere" to cable subscribers--with or without the consent of their cable operator; how cable plans to extend its reach beyond the home and beyond the screen; and more."

Panelists included:
Don Dulchinos, SVP of Advanced Services, CableLabsOlivier Lacour, VP of Design, CiscoCliff Mercer, SVP of Engineering, ActiveVideoArthur Orduna, Chief Innovation Officer, ADT (moderator)Sam Vasisht, CMO, Veveo
Agent Provocateur: Anand Subramanian, CEO, NimbleTV