The Fantastic Corporation and Beyond Online develop Gone Fishin' multimedia broadband channel
Gone Fishin' to provide conceptual framework for further consumer-targeted broadband channels
SYDNEY, 26 July 2000 - The Fantastic Corporation (Fantastic) and Beyond Online (Beyond) have announced an agreement to conduct a technology trial through development of a prototype consumer-oriented broadband channel, Gone Fishin', based on the popular Channel 10, national free-to-air television series of the same name.
The Gone Fishin' broadband channel will provide a conceptual framework for the delivery of consumer-targeted broadband channels, encompassing a rich multimedia experience with the benefits of rapidly delivered content. The channel will be delivered initially to a PC and later to any IP-enabled device, such as a hand-held computer.
Complementing the television program Gone Fishin', the broadband version will offer viewers the opportunity to explore content from the television program in more detail, including extended story segments and interaction with the television presenters through chat rooms and email. In the future, the channel may preview upcoming programs in the series and products to be showcased, and provide a forum for live, interactive seminars with fishing experts.
Information and entertainment
Tom Kennedy, managing director at Beyond Online, said the new channel will not replace the website at www.gonefishin.com.au, but help to capture an audience that specifically chooses to subscribe to a channel providing a more in-depth fishing information and entertainment service.
"This new broadband technology will enable content providers to re-purpose their content specifically for a new distribution model and a wider audience, ensuring the content reaches a maximum number of eyes and ears."
According to Mr Kennedy, the channel will also suit both interactive e-commerce and m-commerce* models. Advertisers will be able to place television commercials or other live streaming video or vision on the site, enabling viewers to 'click through' to view demonstrations of and purchase fishing tackle and other associated goods online.
"The channel will be accessed by subscribers, providing a qualified audience to advertisers, and the opportunity for advertising to be fine-tuned to the demographic profiles within the audience," said Mr Kennedy.
"As Fantastic's technology relies upon a push model for data delivery to the device, rather than a pull model like the Internet, content is automatically delivered to a subscriber and updated as and when required by the content provider or advertiser.
"The combination of the free-to-air television program, Internet website, and broadband channel offers a truly integrated experience for viewers and advertisers. The convergence of all the various media provides an unmatched ability to address a wide cross section of audiences and demographics.
"We can deliver to the armchair fisherman watching free-to-air, the Internet surfer looking for a little more information, and the serious fisherman who wants to know all there is to know by subscribing to a rich multimedia channel delivering information in real-time, from fishing hotspots and weather conditions to fishing tackle and demonstrations," said Mr Kennedy.
Aggregation of content
Laurence Cole, country manager, Australia/New Zealand, The Fantastic Corporation, explained that Beyond Online had taken delivery of Fantastic's Channel Editorial Centre (CEC), a software technology that will enable the aggregation of various multimedia content, including text, streaming video, and graphics, either live or cached.
"The CEC will also enable Beyond to book and track each broadcast, whilst paying for distribution of the content on a per-transaction basis using Telstra's broadband networks. All types of digital media can be scheduled and broadcast via package delivery, caching, or audio and video streaming.
"Beyond Online really understands the power of working with a distribution technology that doesn't wait for the audience to 'refresh' their content, or 'pull it down' from a website. And now Beyond can also deliver multimedia rich content in multicast to an audience choosing to subscribe to this channel.
"Working with Telstra, Beyond and Fantastic have an enormous opportunity to develop and distribute targeted content for both consumers and businesses across Australia. It's all about providing end-users with an enhanced media experience, combining the interactivity of the Internet with the richness of television."
Ends…
* m-commerce = mobile commerce
About The Fantastic Corporation
The Fantastic Corporation (Zug, Switzerland) is the leading provider of end to end software solutions for broadband data broadcasting. This is an emerging communications technology which combines point-to-multipoint digital broadcasting with point-to-point Internet connectivity, in order to deliver rich interactive media content to PCs, digital set-top boxes or handheld devices (including 3G mobile phones) over any broadband IP network.
By merging the inherent bandwidth and speed benefits of broadcasting technologies with the interactivity of the Internet, broadcast data provides superior content distribution and interaction in an increasingly IP-centric world. Fantastic's end to end software supports the rapid growth of the "data broadcast" industry.
Fantastic's customers are typically in two categories. The first includes network operators, satellite companies and any other company providing broadband data transmission services. The second category is content providers, such as media or entertainment companies, or any organisation wishing to transmit large volumes of digital data to target receiver groups quickly and efficiently.
Fantastic is a public company, quoted on the Frankfurt Stock exchange the symbol: FAN.
About Beyond Online
Beyond Online is a convergence media and entertainment company specialising in cross media production and delivery for internet and broadband markets. Beyond Online was listed on the ASX March 2000 - (stock code BYO). Please visit our web site at www.beyondonline.com.au
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For further information, please contact:
Sarah Jarasius
Marketing Manager, Australia/New Zealand
The Fantastic Corporation
sarah.jarasius@fantastic.com
Catherine Lavelle
Public Relations Consultant
CLPR
catherine@clpr.com.au
Peter Sertori
Account Director
Edelman Public Relations
psertori@edelman.com.au
Or visit our web site at www.fantastic.com
The Fantastic Corporation is a registered trademark. Channel Management Center (CMC), Channel Editorial Center (CEC), CEC Master, and MediaSurfer are trademarks of The Fantastic Corporation.
