Hand-picked stars roll up for FreeviewPlus launch

Unlike their ads with a cavalcade of stars, it was strictly one personality per network at last night’s industry launch for FreeviewPlus, the new HbbTV service that offers a new Electronic Programme Guide with Catch-Up TV.

Freeview general manager Liz Ross (pictured second from right) joined with TEN’s Sarah Harris, Seven’s Andrew O’Keefe, ABC News 24’s Ros Childs, Nine’s Richard Wilkins and SBS’ Nazeem Hussain at the Mint in Sydney.

In attendance were industry execs including Tim Worner, Mark Scott, Michael Ebeid, Richard Finlayson, Russel Howcroft, Peter Wiltshire and various journos.

The network faces spruiked the features of the new EPG thanks to a friendly teleprompt but told me they had been given a hands-on demonstration of the new service, which was on show to guests in the room.

Liz Ross thanked the rival networks who had managed to come together -remarkably- for the new service, and retailers and staff.

Showing how far TV had come across the generations, guests were shown a picture of a Zenith flash-matic remote control from the 1960s.

“It probably sounded exciting when it was first launched in the 60s. An exciting name for what was really a pretty basic piece of equipment that could change the channel on your TV via a light beam.

“This is a cracker: the Zenith flashmatic wasn’t without its problems, not the least of which was if you turned any other light on in the room the channel also changed.”

FreeviewPlus doesn’t rely on light beams, but it does have some new EPG features as Television continues to embrace the internet that has often been accused of crushing it.

“The success of Freeview has provided the Australian free to air industry with the opportunity to capitalise on our free to air platform and provide the industry and viewers with a broadcaster-backed brand and the simplest technology message for consumers: catch-up TV on the TV with FreeviewPlus,” said Ross.

www.freeviewplus.com.au