Time, it seems, has the ability to heal all wounds. It seems only a short time ago that interactive television made its local debut, promising a host of new services for the city's viewing audience, including video on demand, time-shifted programming that allowed viewers to save their favourite programmes to watch at a later date, audience voting on particular shows and even the ability to purchase goods at the touch of a button. Despite this grab bag of goodies, that first salvo disappeared without a trace, but now, years later, it is making a comeback, albeit in a new form.

Leading the charge on the local scene is the Interactive Channel (TIC), which launched in December 2004, offering a host of programmes whereby viewers can interact with what is going on in the TV studio, in real time. The feat is possible because of the ground-breaking convergence of television, Internet and mobile telephony protocols, which allow two-way communication across a cross-section of media platforms, says the company's mercurial chief.

"Interactive television is all about viewers communicating, in real time, with what is happening on the screen," says Robert Chua, founder and chairman of TIC. "They can speak to people at the television studio, make an appearance on the programme through their webcam and send and receive messages through their TV, the Internet or a 3G phone.

"Interactive television failed the first time because its adopters didn't understand what it was supposed to do for the viewer. In the late 90s, people were still getting used to pay TV and there was less exposure to the Internet, so there was not a great interest in those services. Nowadays, the environment has changed, people are used to the Internet and pay television is a well established alternative to (free-to-air) television.

Content is everything

But despite the technological leap and more sophisticated market, the biggest change to happen to the platform is the content itself, he says.

"What those first producers didn't understand is that content is everything. If you don't get the content right, you won't succeed, and that is what happened the first time around. Our content is all based on getting people involved. We have discussion-based talk shows that appeal to people who want to participate, talk to the hosts and see what other people have to say."

TIC's flagship programme, iTALK, is simplicity itself. A host and guest sit in front of a camera and discuss the latest topics making the news, including current affairs, politics and social issues. Viewers can participate in the discussion via their television, through the Internet and webcam or send text messages via their 3G phone. It is the person-to-person contact and ability to participate, so popular in radio, that drives interest, says Chua. And like radio, the best content is content that is happening in "real time" - current affairs and talk shows, quiz shows, sports programmes and one of its recent offerings, a show on dating.

With around 20 programmes already up and running, the channel has established a critical mass of content, but the TV veteran is already brainstorming new ideas - his forte - he says.

"In the coming months, we're planning to introduce an evening talk show which is scheduled straight after the news (on the free-to-air channels). On the show, we will be discussing the news topics for that day and getting viewers' opinions. Another show we want to introduce will be like the (US show) The People's Court, but without the legal aspect. Two people who have a disagreement will argue their case on television and viewers will be invited to give their verdict. The one who gets the most votes 'wins' the case with the loser agreeing to compensate them in some way."

Expand, despite the scepticism

Despite Chua's strong belief in the interactive renaissance, others are not so sure. Industry observers say that the whole interactive TV concept may still turn out to be a fad, due to its inability to move from a "nice to have" to a "must have" feature of TV watching, plus the lack of direction among providers as to what it should be offering. Others like Stephen Hoffenberg, media analyst for US-based Lyra Research, believe that the platform is here to stay, and that the interactive format is destined to permanently change the way viewers experience television.

Latest industry figures, in the US at least, suggest that growth in new media is persisting. Industry goliaths like Time Warner and smaller players like Charter Communications have already rolled out or are planning to roll out their own interactive functions on their channels over the next year. Meanwhile, satellite and cable TV stations are rushing to add interactive features to their programming, some without charge, in an attempt to capture viewer interest and boost usage.

Chua believes it is just a matter of time before the same pattern takes place here. But rather than wait, he has kept himself busy, pushing ahead into other Asian markets in a bid to stay ahead of the looming competition. "We are already in talks with a number of media companies from the US and the UK, to set up joint venture partnerships around Asia, including the mainland. We are looking for partners who are in the media industry, but not stuck in the television mindset, so for us, an Internet player like Yahoo! or mainland portal alibaba.com would be suitable. We need partners who understand the potential available in a cross media platform, and we think Internet-based companies will understand this."

In the meantime, Chua is continuing with his own expansion plans in Asia. He is already in talks with television stations in South Korea, where TIC will sell on its interactive concept as a turnkey project, setting up the studio and equipment as well as providing all the technical support.

"At the moment, there are no plans to provide content, but we will stay on as technical consultants and train all their staff on an ongoing basis," says Chua. "By avoiding content, we don't need to research the local market, handle cultural and language issues or develop an audience. This we will leave up to the local players.

"On the mainland, this is especially useful, since we do not have to worry about getting a broadcasting licence or dealing with censorship issues. We have already had talks with the broadcasting authorities and they have supported our proposals. We would be looking at offering our platform to Beijing and Shanghai first, and again we would be providing the hardware and training only. The local TV stations would provide the content. This is the best way for us."

A new experience

As a veteran of over 40 years in television, Chua is something of a legend in local media circles, having been the brains behind some of the city's most popular television shows. A former executive producer at TVB, Chua created one of the city's first variety programmes, Enjoy Yourself Tonight, which ran for nearly 30 years before ending in the mid 90s. He also produced the first charity marathon for local television and is credited for creating the first ever Miss Hong Kong pageant.

He left the company in 1995 to launch Chinese language satellite channel, China Entertainment Television (CETV), which enjoyed less than stellar returns despite being the first foreign broadcaster to get landing rights on the mainland, until he sold his 4 per cent stake to Time Warner in 2003, leaving him free to set up TIC. The deal, which left Time Warner with control of the CETV business and the rights to all of its Chinese programming, put around HK$20 million into Chua's pocket according to some estimates, more than enough seed money to set up his latest venture.

"It was good to take time off from the industry, but I always knew I wanted to get back in," he says. "I had been thinking about starting up my own channel for a while and a few years ago, I looked around and realized that there was great potential in interactive TV with the right kind of content. It has taken a while to sort out all the difficulties, but after a year of (beta) testing, we have the right technology in place now."

Unlike its first incarnation, TIC is here to stay, says Chua. "With our format, we are not expanding the market - grabbing viewers who don't normally watch TV and not all television programmes need to be interactive - we are appealing to a particular taste. Movies, TV dramas will always find an audience and don't need audience participation. Instead interactive television offers existing viewers a new television experience."

(HK Edition 10/26/2005 page4)