LONDON (Brand Republic) - The BBC is planning a series of high-tech initiatives that will see it launch a new interactive service by the end of the year.
Speaking at the Production Show in London yesterday, BBC director of new media Ashley Highfield said that the new and as-yet under-wraps project would have a 鈥済ladiatorial theme鈥.
The broadcaster is also planning to merge its online and other digital assets, creating a unified interactive brand. It is expected to be named BBCi.
Highfield added that the corporation was moving away from commissioning traditional standalone TV programmes and moving towards a policy of only commissioning programmes that are developed with additional interactive content.
Highfield鈥檚 comments come on the back of a pilot launch of a text service on Sky Digital involving BBC digital channels BBC Choice, BBC Knowledge and BBC News 24.
If the pilot is successful, the service will be available on BBC1 and BBC2 next week.