Global crisis creates more channel-surfing

The benefits of a wider choice of television channels made available through the introduction of digital TV are probably best illustrated during a crisis.

Broadcast news organisations reported a surge in viewing following the terrorist attacks on the US as a concerned public tuned into rolling news channels.

"Viewing has increased beyond comprehension," says Clare Cooke, head of media distribution for Bloomberg Europe. "The value of 24-hour news has really come into its own."

Bloomberg provides financial and business news on a variety of digital platforms.

"We were able to show subscribers the impact of what was happening to the markets because of the events in the US," says Cooke. "Digital television has been very useful for us because it has enabled a lot more people to gain access to specialised channels."

Bloomberg supplies its television channels in five different languages across Europe and has recently sought a broader audience, beyond business professionals. "We are now attracting more private investors who need the market explained clearly to them," says Cooke.

The company has some interactive services. "The screen format we've used for years is suited to digital," says Cooke. "It enables viewers to pick specific information that they want so they can follow certain currencies or stocks."

Viewers in the Republic are able to tune into Bloomberg in the morning, find out the closing prices in the US stock markets and then follow the opening of the Irish stock exchange.

Going digital has enabled Bloomberg, like many other content providers, to enable audiences to participate in its broadcasts to a much greater extent.

"On one of our discussion shows on the Bloomberg channel we let viewers drive the topics," says Cooke. "Questioners send in their enquiries by e-mail or using interactive television."

Like all "content-providers", Bloomberg wants to sell its channels to the largest number of platform providers as possible to boost subscriber numbers. "This could be radio, television and the Internet," says Cooke.