MTV Networks has announced plans to offer parallel, interactive coverage of its Video Music Awards (VMA's) on its broadband TV site, MTV Overdrive, simultaneously with its live linear TV broadcast of the August 31st event. The company says it plans to extend this "interactive dual screen experience" to its popular live afternoon series, "Total Request Live" (TRL) in the fall. "Our audience has embraced the online video revolution and we felt it was time to create companion broadband programming that is unique and exists simultaneous to the linear television experience," Dave Sirulnick, MTV's EVP of multiplatform production, news and music, said in a prepared statement. "The live MTV Overdrive companion programs for TRL and the VMA's will enhance the experience for our audience by creating an entirely new level of connection to these established shows."
According to MTV, the broadband companion show for TRL will—through alternative live streams, VOD, and other features--provide viewers with "more interviews with talent, more music, more behind-the-scenes access, and more interaction with TRL VJ's and MTV News correspondents." According to a report in the New York Times, if viewers want, for example, to see more of a video that has been featured on the linear TV version of TRL, or to go backstage with one of the show's hosts, the broadband interactive version of the show will allow them to do so. While viewers will presumably make most use of the broadband version during the commercial breaks of the linear TV version, MTV president, Christina Norman, pointed out to the newspaper that this will not mean that they will be able to skip ads, as the broadband version's on-demand clips will also contain advertising, as does the MTV Overdrive site itself.
Click http://www.itvt.com to subscribe to our free email newsletter, which contains all the news stories you see on this Web site, and additional breaking news and scoops, in-depth features, interviews, screenshots, videos, and other exclusive content you will not find anywhere else.
Our [itvt] free industry database called The [i]Database contains many listings of operators, broadcasters, software developers, design firms, manufacturers, Web sites, consultancies and many more organizations and people working in the interactive multiplatform TV industry. Upload your company or yourself!