Innovations like SMS-based streaming messaging and dial-in microphones are proving a hit with Big Brother 2 viewers, says Richard Fyffe, GM for new media at M-Net division Oracle New Media.
Big Brother 2 is not getting as many hits on its Web site as last year but Fyffe says the innovations are more than making up for any shortfall. And even then the site is not struggling, having recorded 340 000 page impressions yesterday alone.
The real winner, says Fyffe, is the SMS-based streaming messages service which has received more than 60 000 messages since the show started on Sunday evening. The service enables viewers to SMS messages to the show that are scrolled across the screen and on the Web site as soon as they are received.
Fyffe says there is "some sort of issue with messages from MTN cellphones passing through the gateway" and the 60 000 messages received reflect only Vodacom viewers. He says as soon as the MTN problem is resolved later today he expects the figures to grow significantly.
The SMS service is moderated at two points to protect against undesirable content and advertising material being sent through, says Fyffe. The first stage is an automated one at the gateway which checks messages for undesirable content such as swear words. The messages are checked against various lists and deleted immediately when one is found. Fyffe says that between 10% and 15% of messages are deleted at this stage.
The second stage check is a manual one and a team of moderators works 18 hours a day vetting each message that makes it through the initial gateway.
"We have had a few teething troubles ... but as they settle in things are getting tighter," he says. The initial unwanted words list is being extended continuously as new "variations" on words are sent through. "There are still some risky messages getting through though ... and we are working on this."
The 340 000 page impressions on the Big Brother 2 Web site is a little down from last year and Fyffe attributes this to corporations that have "pre-blocked" the site. "I think a lot of system administrators were caught off guard last year."
In general, however, Fyffe says, the innovations on the show have proved to be very popular. Among these is the facility to dial into the lapel mike of any of the contestants. "The volumes on this are still small though," he says, suggesting this may be the result of very little marketing on this front.
This year`s Big Brother 2 show includes seven broadcast channels and eight audio feeds.
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