MTV giving users free hand
Music broadcaster MTV Asia aims to graduate from simple television content to multiple channels available over computers and mobiles with customised programming so users can see and hear exactly what they want when they want it.
Frank Brown, Singapore-based president of MTV Networks Asia, was in Hong Kong yesterday and said multiple, genre-specific channels were in the near future, while customised music channels could be five to 10 years away.
'You can go into MTV the main channel. You hear an R&B track, you'll be able to drop into the R&B channel and just listen to R&B. You'll hear a track from Marvin Gaye and you'll be able to programme just Marvin Gaye tracks for a while, if that's what you want to hear.
'And ultimately, if you want to programme your own channel you'll be able to do that too,' he said.
Before that, MTV would offer a number of different genre-specific channels in each market, as it does in Britain, where there are six MTV channels.
At present MTV has five different channels in the region, including a main one and channels focused on Mandarin, Southeast Asia, India and Korea.
Audience and advertiser demand would be big factors in whether and where new channels were launched.
'First of all the number of channels will be determined by consumer tastes. Each channel would have to be economically viable. And so, if the consumers don't want it in enough numbers it won't exist. There is a basic fundamental economic principle there,' Mr Brown said.
Inter-activity as a buzzword has been around in the broadcasting industry for a number of years, but the large-scale programmes are only just starting.
This year, digital cable and interactive television projects have begun in Korea, Taiwan and the mainland - including a project in Sichuan province that last month began allowing World Cup viewers to choose from six different camera angles.
In the case of MTV, its forays into interactive broadcasting include plans to air a 15-minute programme from next month, with viewers encouraged to use mobile short messaging to vote on the videos they want to see aired.
Mr Brown said user acceptance would determine the pace and scope of interactivity for MTV.
'The interactive element will be as large or as small as the consumers want it to be. And they will determine where the equilibrium lies. We won't do that, technology won't do that. The consumers will determine where the right balance is for the involvement and interaction that they want.'
MTV now offers a self-programmed Internet radio channel called Imagine Radio. Mr Brown said the MTV Asia Web site recorded about 70 million page views per month. It was important to MTV's programming plans.
'There is a growing incidence of young people multi-tasking, watching the TV and being online at the same time . . . the convergent programming concept.'
