The BBC is to launch a 12-month video podcast trial that will make 30 programmes, including Newsnightand Question Time, available to download to portable viewing devices including iPods.
The BBC is to launch a 12-month video podcast trial that will make 30 programmes, including Newsnightand Question Time, available to download to portable viewing devices including iPods.

From this week, users of the BBC website or download services such as iTunes will be able to access weekly highlights of the Ten O'Clock Newsand Newsnight, fronted by high-profile presenters including Huw Edwards and Jeremy Paxman. The third programme, StoryFix, will offer a tongue-in-cheek look at the week's news.

They will be followed later in the year by a Question Time video podcast and a daily news video briefing, Breakfast Takeaway, aimed at morning commuters.

Adrian Van Klaveren, the deputy director of BBC news, told Broadcastone of the key aims of the video podcasts was to attract younger viewers to news programming. 'There is no doubt that the bias among devices that are capable of playing the MP4 format tends to be younger, whereas news programming skews older,' he said.

The trial, which will be evaluated after 12 months, will also aim to determine the length and style of content viewers want to download.

The further 25 podcasts will offer non-news programming but content has not been confirmed.

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