SUMMIT, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BCM (formerly known as BackChannelMedia) today announced the launch of Clickable TV® in Montgomery, Alabama. WSFA 12 News and WCOV Fox 20 along with their NBC and Fox affiliations are participating in the launch to Knology digital HD cable subscribers in the Montgomery area. BCM, Knology, WSFA and WCOV will collaborate to promote and introduce this service during the first quarter of 2011 Clickable TV® is the first of several groundbreaking products and services that will be announced by BCM in 2011.
“BCM is thrilled to be working with WSFA, WCOV and Knology to provide TV viewers with this new interactive experience,” said Daniel Hassan, Chairman and CEO of BCM. “In 2011, BCM will roll out a series of fresh and innovative products such as Clickable TV®, which connects viewers directly with the programming, brands and advertisers that they are interested in, according to their own preferences. We are looking forward to launching these new products nationwide.”
When a viewer sees a Clickable Moment icon appear on their television screen, indicating the content is “clickable”, they are able to use the “Select” button on their remote to forward or “bookmark” the content from TV to their preferred e-mail and a personal Web page. The viewer is automatically sent a customized link connecting them directly to the specific website and information they have requested from television without ever interrupting their viewing experience. Clickable TV® is free of charge to viewers, requires no additional product installation and uses the existing remote control in viewer homes.
Clickable TV® is an Enhanced Television Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) application that offers cable operators new revenue potential from TV content and advertising sources that include local ad sales, cable networks and local broadcasters. EBIF is the future of interactive TV on both Cable and Broadcast stations and is among the most versatile standards for interactive applications, working with newer and legacy set top boxes.
WSFA, owned by Raycom Media, will participate in the product’s launch starting in January of this year, enabling portions of their local programming and advertisements to be interactive—or “clickable”. “Clickable TV® provides our viewers with a new, creative way to interact with our programming and commercials,” said Ken Selvaggi, General Manager of WSFA. “For Montgomery advertisers, we are introducing a two-way method of communication for the first time, and all it takes is a single click.”
WCOV Fox 20, independently owned and operated, is eager to introduce interactivity in their ads and programming to their viewers. "Clickable TV® will allow Knology digital subscribers to request and obtain additional information on a products and services broadcasted on WCOV," according to David Woods, President of WCOV. "We are pleased to be on the leading edge of this new technology."
“Knology is pleased to work with BCM, WSFA and WCOV to be able to bring this new, advanced interactive TV application to our viewers in the Montgomery community,” said Knology Vice President of Marketing, Tony Palermo.
About BCM
BCM (www.backchannelmedia.com) was founded in 2000 in Boston, Massachusetts and in 2009 expanded to Summit, New Jersey. BCM has developed Clickable TV, a technology that allows the viewer to forward or "bookmark" their interests from TV to the Internet. BCM’s patent pending technology can be deployed in consumer electronics equipment, TV sets, over the air digital broadcast receivers, cable, satellite and fiber provider networks, as well as switched digital video networks. BCM has also reached agreements to deploy throughout all Gray Television and Fisher Communications television stations.
About WSFA 12 News
WSFA 12 News has been the leading news organization in Central Alabama for the past 55 years and currently programs more than 30 hours of news in high definition per week.
About WCOV Fox 20
WCOV Fox 20 is Montgomery’s first TV station, beginning operations in 1953, and the local Fox Network affiliate. FOX brings viewers programming includes Fox News at Nine, American Idol, House, Glee, Fringe, and sports programming like NFL, NASCAR, and Major League Baseball.
About Knology
Knology, Inc., headquartered in West Point, GA, is a leading provider of interactive communications and entertainment services. Knology serves residential and business customers with one of the most technologically advanced broadband networks in the country. Innovative offerings include over 200 channels of digital cable TV, local and long distance digital telephone service with the latest enhanced voice messaging features, and high-speed Internet access that enables consumers to quickly download video, audio and graphic files using a cable modem. For more information, please visit www.knology.com or www.connectwithknology.com.