BBC launches video podcasts for news programming

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 27-Jul-06, 11:00

LONDON - The BBC is repackaging its news programming in three different video podcasts or 'vodcasts', which include weekly round-ups of the best reports from 'Ten O'Clock News' and 'Newsnight' and a new strand called 'StoryFix'.

The corporation has commenced a 12-month trial of ways to extend its journalism to portable video devices such as Apple's iPod.

Adrian van Klaveren, deputy director of BBC News, said: "We view video podcasting as a convenient way for our audiences to consume BBC News content at a time and place of their choosing."

The best of the week's 'Ten O'Clock News' packages will be collected in 'Ten Weekly', available each Wednesday, while the equivalent for 'Newsnight' is available each Friday.

Also available on Friday is 'StoryFix', described as "a high-speed tongue-in-cheek look at the last week's news on the BBC", condensed into five minutes. It will be presented by 'Newsnight' presenter Emily Maitlis.

'StoryFix' will not just be a video podcast because it will appear on BBC News 24 and on the BBC website and interactive TV.

The BBC has already published the first editions of each of the three at bbc.co.uk/newspodcasts.

Later in the year, the BBC will add highlights from 'Question Time' and a daily morning news briefing aimed at commuters.

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