BBC chat show first to allow audience to join in via MMS

net1

The BBC has become the first broadcaster to launch in-bound MMS functionality to one of its shows.

The new nightly Johnny Vaughan vehicle Live at Johnny's, which launched on BBC3 on Monday, is integrating the use of in-bound MMS tightly into the editorial format, encouraging viewers to send in photos and images to form part of the show's content.

Brainstorm, which runs the service, is in talks with other large broadcasters and expects to launch further applications soon.

The move follows the opening of third-party in-bound MMS capabilities by operators, as revealed by NMA last week.

The first Live at Johnny'sshow on Monday used in-bound MMS to support its 'Theme of the Day' section, based around Rene Zellweger at the Baftas, encouraging viewers to send in via MMS photos of people with faces like hamsters.

'Initially we thought the use of MMS would be very difficult,' said Gregor Cameron, MD of the show's production company World's End. 'But it was incredibly successful and last night we got so many in we really stretched the system.'

The audience for Monday's show was 30,000, according to BARB.

World's End will be launching different in-bound MMS applications to fit the editorial on daily shows, which are screened on the channel twice a day.

'We're barely scratching the surface with MMS,' said Brainstorm CEO Craig Massey. 'We're saying to production and broadcast companies we can do anything you come up with creatively.'

Production company Endemol is also planning to introduce in-bound MMS into its shows.

'Using our audience to produce content is a dream relationship,' said head of interactive media Chris Short. 'We'll look at using in-bound for every major new show.'