BBC World News creates interactive episode to personalise content experience

BBC World News has launched an interactive factual programme using object-based media technology, which allows viewers to choose from hundreds of thousands of alternative versions. The programme called Click, also allows viewers to personalise their experience by making decisions while they are watching and tailor content according to viewers’ watching habits.Click has been on air for nearly 20 years, and previously experimented with other production techniques, including 360 video, virtual reality and making shows entirely on mobile phones. Ultimately with its new feature, viewers can choose the stories they want hear about, and in how much detail.The interactive episode used a content creation tool called StoryFormer, which was developed by the BBC’s Research and Development department. StoryFormer allows production teams to break stories down into constituent parts, such as audio, individual frames of video or captions, which can be personalised and shaped by the preferences of the person watching.Simon Hancock, editor of BBC Click, said this approach has the potential to transform the way content is created and consumed in the future, offering viewers a bespoke experience, tailored to their specific interests, preferences and choices. “It is a great example of how the BBC is at the forefront of innovation in broadcasting, as it has been for almost a century, and the future possibilities for object-based media in the factual space are incredibly exciting,” he added.