Prioritisation - Choosing what will be on BBC Red Button
Post categories: Inside BBC Red Button
| 14:40 UK time, Monday, 27 April 2009
Every six months, in my role as Managing Editor of TV Platforms, I work through the process of prioritisation. Put simply, I work with the team here to prioritise the development projects for the following six months (or more if we know beyond that!)
Diagram: How TV Platforms interfaces with other BBC divisions
TV Platforms provide all of the technical development skills led by a team of producers and project managers and ably supported by testers and design (or user experience - UX).
Our lovely colleagues in the content divisions (Journalism who cover news, sport and regional content; Audio and Music for radio and music; and Vision for television programmes and childrens output) will commission projects based on their strategic objectives and then submit all of their preferred ideas to me. My role is more referee-like, as we try to balance everyone's desires.
Other parts of the BBC are also invited to tell us their ambitions, with submissions covering anything from helping the Distribution team with Digital Switch Over, to the TV Platforms team requesting technical pieces of work (such as migrating server software to updated versions.)
I work with the divisions to unify their strategies to benefit BBC Red Button and help manage their expectations about what the team can deliver. Our main aim is to offer the audience the best experience and content available.
This last round there were over 40 development projects submitted for consideration - ranging from huge (for example, a new quiz) to those more maintenance focussed (a simple popup telling people they'll need to retune their TV due to transmitter changes.) It was just before this stage that I fled to a friend's wedding in New Zealand leaving the team here to review, rate and generally curse my good name!
On my return, we sat down with the content divisions to explain what we believe TV Platforms can deliver over the next six months. There is always a balance between managing scope, time and resource - and development scope nearly always outruns the time and people available to produce it!
Anyway after much horse-trading and lots of discussions, a roadmap is produced that outlines the next six months work and the team, who have been finishing off the previous six months projects, start grouping and focussing on delivering more first-class development products.
Next week, I'll be giving you a view on what we will be working on in the next six months - the result of our most recent prioritisation round.
John Denton is Managing Editor, TV Platforms Group
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~20~RS~)
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I know that this might not be within your scope or remit but an I ask/request one thing - that the BBC seriously looks into the need for the "Press Red" OSG.
With an increasing number of homes now having at least one digitally equipped TV (either DVB-T or DVB-S) how many do not know about the "red button" content, in the 1970/80s there was rarely any need to advise viewers about the channels Teletext services - mostly any OSG was to inform the heard of hearing that subtitles were available on '888', and then it was either a temporary OSG or very discreet - but until the internet and digital TV came along Teletext was a well used service even though there was very little on screen pushing of the service.
I assume that by the end of 2012, when DSO is complete and everyone who wants to receive UK television will have either a DVB-T or DVB-S receiver, the use of these 'advisory' OSG will end (assuming that they haven't before) or are we going to be infested with "Press Red" OSG in the same way as we are infested with channel Idents DOGs now...
If there is a need to inform the viewer that there is relevant extra content via the red button, and it's not possible to tell the viewer (either before or during the programme) about it, can the OSG please be made smaller - perhaps just a red dot rather than the the 'hand-holding' full textual instruction to "Press Red"?
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Hi
I would like to see additional content that is available on Sky.
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#2
"I would like to see additional content that is available on Sky."
Wouldn't that be a bit difficult for the BBC, would Sky allow their content to be broadcast by the BBC, or do you mean the content that is available from the BBC on satellite?...
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yes - what is available from the BBC on Sky.
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I understand that a part of the introduction of HD on DTT that one of the interactive streams has to be dropped for bandwidth capacity reasons. Could you clarify this please?
If that's the case, can I ask that you offer the lost stream (and the additional streams offered on DSAT) online via the iPlayer? I'd also like these services available via Canvas equipped boxes and receivers in the longterm if the go ahead is given by the Trust and (personal POV) those busy bodies at OFCOM and it's related agencies.
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Hello all and thanks for your comments,
88% of homes are now receiving digitalTV and of course by 2012, it will be 100%. So by then will we still need Press Red triggers (OSG) appearing on screen?
The Press red triggers are a key call to action for us, we have data that shows that when we show one viewers do press their red buttons. Obviously we need to use them sparingly to stop them becoming annoying but I think that even beyond 2012 they will still have their uses.
I can foresee a time when a trigger may link to IP content from a URL contained in it.
But as with all things digital, we will make sure that we listen to viewers and check how they wish to engage with our content.
Hopefully you know that you can remove the Red Button trigger from your screen by pushing the green button on Freeview/Freesat, blue button on Virgin and Back up button on Sky.
Adding content that is presently on Sky to Freeview is not possible due to the limited bandwidth available on Freeview, especially with regards to video. This year will be an exciting one for Freeview as BBC HD is scheduled to arrive sometime towards the end of the year. Read the BBC HD blog for more.
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Thanks for the reply, Could you confirm or debunk my DTT loss of stream understanding with the HD launch?
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#6
"The Press red triggers are a key call to action for us, we have data that shows that when we show one viewers do press their red buttons. Obviously we need to use them sparingly to stop them becoming annoying but I think that even beyond 2012 they will still have their uses."
Were does this data come from, to the best of my knowledge DVB-T receivers have no feed-back ability whilst only BSkyB DVB-S receivers have the ability to 'report back' (assuming that they actually collect/collate such information) and only then if people keep their phone-line connected to the STB. Are we talking here about selective research designed to show that the need is there, to justify decisions already taken (the 9 out of 10 cats prefer brand XYZ type nonsense) - yes I am being a little cynical here but it does get a bit annoying when people justify something on the back of asking a few thousand selected people!
Whilst I can accept that there will always be a need to advise viewers of additional 'Red Button' content this doesn't have to be via an intrusive OSG (and certainly not a hand-holding instruction to "Press Red"), as I said, a small, perhaps even semi-translucent, red dot could be placed within the 4:3 safe area and even then the pre-programme announcement could tell the audience, the EPG could indicate that 'red button' content is available etc. - in fact the EPG is a great way of finding out what channel one is viewing without the need to see a Channel Ident DOG but that's another argument for another day...
As for the Green Button, that is not a commonly known function and it doesn't always work, often the "Press Red" OSG returns as it is not a function to turn off this digitally generated OSG within the STB, just the ability to hide it until the next trigger event.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback.
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@Boilerplated
I think that data is likely to come from the boxes that serve the content :)
@John - Small thing, not sure if it's your bag... but I'm here, so it can' hurt to mention it ..... Some of the iPlayer pages for individual programmes need a little work - there are huge unmissable spoilers. E.G. the Apprentice - go and have a look, it's impossible to avoid the final outcome of the episode you're attempting to load - very frustrating and takes a large edge off the joy that is using iPlayer.
Keep up the great work though :D
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#9
"I think that data is likely to come from the boxes that serve the content"
Can't see that, surely the information is being broadcast all the time, it's not like a internet request were your computer sends a request, when you press the red button all you are doing is instructing the microprocessor within you DVB receiver to decode the information and display it - just as a Teletext equipped TV does with Ceefax data etc. - as I said Freeview and most satellite receivers are not 'two way' capable.
John's comment (@ #6) about knowing that people use the red button is similar to the classic experiment were people are presented with a big red button which has a label "Do NOT press this button!" attached, it has been shown that a proportion of those tested will press the button just to see what might happen, even more so when they know that nothing nasty will happen - perhaps someone needs to do this test after hacking some STB's firmware so that when the red button is pressed the unit (randomly) either switched off and stays off for half an hour or delivers additional content and then see how many choose to "Press Red" for a second or third time? :-).
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Some of the work below I know is already in hand or covered in The BBC's Statements of Programme Policy 2009/10: I would dearly like to see more some more content on Digital Text from the present Ceefax and BBC Online Services:
SLI/Makaton TM signed programmes on all BBC Channels, other than on SignZone
How to apply for a Charity Appeal on Lifeline and Radio 4 Appeal (form BBC One Ceefax 619/659)
Lifeline UK (from BBC One 619)
Lifeline Northern Ireland (from BBC One 619)
How to apply for a TV and Radio Charity Appeal from BBC Cymru Wales (from BBC One 629)
BBC Cymru Wales Appeal on TV (from 629)
BBC Cymru Wales Appeal on Radio (from 629)
CD Review on BBC Radio 3 (from BBC One 651)
Working Lunch (from BBC Two 227)
Learning Zone Listings (from BBC Two 631)
Learning Zone Schools (from BBC Two 633)
Learning Zone Languages (from BBC Two 634)
BBC HD contact details
Pluse an expanded form of some of the pages on Ceefax page 695
Tickets for BBC Shows and Events including BBC Proms and Tours of BBC Buildings; BBC Performing Groups
Details of Doctor Who Exhibition
BBC Shop
BBC Archive for TV and Radio
National Media Museum in Bradford for watching TV Programmes
Viewing television material at bfi and bfi Southbank in London
Listening to radio porgrammes at the National Sound Archive in British Library in London
Contact BBC News NewsWatch
Contact BBC Ones Points of View
Contact TV Licensing
Contact BBC Complaints
Contact Ofcom
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Me again. I've just read the Telegraph artcle on then years of Red Button and discovered, John, that those of us on Freeview Red Button are missing out on the BBC giving us Cinema Listings.
Teletext provides this already so its not such a loss, but are there many other applications on Red Button that Freeviewers won't be able to see until the bandwidth becomes available?
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Sue - John's not around today to question him, however it looks like he made a bit of a mistake during the interview as we closed down the Cinema Listings service on Sky and Virgin Media last year - the listings on the BBC website also closed at the same time. We never had enough bandwidth on Freeview to provide the service unfortunately.
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Hello,
So where to start:
Cinema Listings - as Andrew B states we removed this from BBC Red Button in 2008 but you can still receive these via Digital Teletext. In the newspaper article, I was trying to be inclusive of our competitors when talking about interactive text services but that obviously didn't get reported that way.
Secondly, how do we know viewers press red, because our video services are measured by BARB and we see daily peaks around News, for example, where we do show the Press Red button and at other times when we show them. So accept they can be annoying to some people but we do have hard evidence that they work.
In terms of audience, we have nearly 10m viewers accessing service a week and this rises for big events such as last year's Olympics (11.8m).
That is about 25% of available digital TV audience and we are very proud of that fact and that a large majority of viewers don't access Online at home (for many reasons) so we serve them too.
Ceefax content - we will look to bring more content over if we can find (the expensive) bandwidth for it or will try and deliver it via broadband to television sets in new ways.
Finally, we are reviewing DTT services as part of bringing BBC HD and other HD channels to that platform. Nothing will be made public until that review is completed later this year.
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Good News on Ceefax Content so thank you John and Andrew again for all your work on this: I wonder if the changes to Entrtainment Extra this month (19 May Weekly Quiz disappears, 26 May Games Review and US Film Chart disappear and 29 May Film Chart disappers) will free up bandwith. Also: The Top 40 is listed not only within Entertainment Extra but also both on CBBC Text pages and on Freeview EPG 700 for Radio 1 Red Button, so that duplication could be sorted out to give more bandwidth space on DTT.
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Re 15. Apologies: I meant Film Review disappears on 29 May.
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I believe the Entertainment changes are about re-using the existing bandwidth in different ways rather than releasing it.
On the Top 40, it's an editorial decision CBBC made about duplicating it there - they don't have the easy ability to link to Entertainment in their system. But on the plus side, we run some compression on the service, so the duplicated content will compress very efficiently!
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