TV broadcaster Prime launches regional internet sites

Stuart Corner
Monday, 24 September 2007 10:25

Your IT - Home IT

Surtees suggested that regional consumers were prime targets for additional Internet content and services. "In lots of these areas people have more time, more disposable income and less choice [of alternative actives]."

"Regional consumers use the internet up to twice as much as metropolitan users and in some key categories, non metropolitan users make up the majority of web traffic. Yet these regional audiences are typically underserved, with very little customised, relevant and localised material, information or even local advertising online," he claimed.

He also said that any perceptions that the interests and activities of the rural population were predominantly agriculture-based was misplace. "Less than five percent of the income generated in these areas is related to farming and households in these areas are two or three times more likely to have some sort of small business connected with them than in metro areas."

Also, Surtees said, there was an increasing tendency for consumers to consume both TV and Internet simultaneously. "Two thirds of US adults spend about a quarter of the media time with both the Internet and the TV on. There is a strong correlation between Internet search activity and what is on the television."

iPRIME intends to deliver shows that encourage television viewers and online audiences to consume both of these media simultaneously. "The idea is to connect audiences to what's happening 'Right here, right now!'."

One of the strongest aspects of iPRIME portals could be their facilities to enable local sports teams to post schedules, details and profiles of individual players. Surtees said: "3eep is providing us with backend technology for what we call Sportsplay. We are creating social networking around grass roots level sport. So for example the Queanbeyan under 15s soccer team can have their own page and each player can have the own page and the team can post its schedule, photos and videos. Sportsplay will allow any social group to communicate with other people using the iPRIME infrastructure."

He added, "one of the reasons we have gone very deep into creating Sportsplay is that we think that a lot of local interest and energy can be directed into it."

iPRIME has also formed partnerships with a number of popular online services so that visitors to each iPRIME portal will be able to gain access to local subsets of those providers' content. These include, Seek.com.au RSVP.com.au and Realestate.com.au