Shooting to TV stardom

Next month GMTV viewers will be able to get on TV just by using their camera phones, according to The Guardian.

"As the Big Brother housemates enjoy their 15 minutes of fame, broadcaster GMTV is planning to offer its six million daily viewers a slightly more modest prospect: five seconds of photo-fame.

Next month the breakfast TV station will become the latest broadcaster to enable viewers with camera phones to interact directly with the show through picture messaging (MMS). The best photos sent in will be displayed on-screen around editorial items such as "back to school", with viewers able to show off their children in their first school uniform to the nation.

"People want to see themselves on screen," says GMTV head of interactive Nog Sawdon. "We already have text messaging to screen, this gives viewers their chance to get on TV, to get their five seconds of photo-fame.

Giving viewers a way to become a visual part of the programme they're watching is an exciting prospect for viewers and broadcasters alike.

Other examples:

-- The first to take the leap was the BBC, back in April. Viewers of the BBC3 Live at Johnny' were encouraged to send in picture messages of themselves to be praised or ridiculed on the Theme of the Day section".

-- TV recently integrated picture messaging into its Sunday afternoon motorsport show Speed Sunday, filling the screen with images such as viewers' kids dressed in full formula one kit.

-- Endemol recently announced plans to launch soap opera built for MMS. The 16-week comic-strip-style series, FanTESStic, is set to launch in the next few months.

-- Mersey TV is planning to go one step further in the integration of MMS and broadcast media, with the launch of an MMS spin-off of Hollyoaks, developed with Opera Telecom. The series will use characters from the show, building on storylines from the TV series. The action will be portrayed, like a picture book, with a "slide-show" of five picture messages.

Related articles from MMS on Television category in Picturephoning.com:

-- Roundup on how MMS is being used on Television

-- Soap opera FanTESStic comes to UK

-- MMS Soap on Spanish Telefónica Móviles

-- TV Reality Show uses picture phones

-- An interactive TV channel where viewers picturephone shots and films will be shown

-- Jong-Zuid: First picture soap opera for mobile phones

emily | 11:10 AM | MMS on Television |
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