SEATTLE: Fisher Communications has signed a station group agreement with Backchannelmedia to deploy its opt-in Clickable TV technology. The technology enables interactivity and bookmarking of TV content and ads. Clickable is opt-in, so people that elect to use it see what the company describes as “small, non-intrusive ‘bugs’ at the bottom of their TV screen during clickable moments,” when they can bookmark something with a remote for filing on personal Web portal or e-mail address.
Clickable works through over-the-air digital broadcasting, cable, satellite and telcoTV provision. The platform allows TV stations to sell clickable slots to advertisers on a per-click basis, in addition to impression-based TV commercials. It uses no behavioral targeting, and is spam and fraud free, the company said.
Fisher (NASDAQ: FSCI) has 13 full- and seven low-power TV stations and eight radio stations in the United States. Backchannel is located in Boston. The company launched Clickable TV nearly a year ago and now has five stations using it: WCVB-TV, the Hearst-Argyle ABC in Boston; WMUR-TV, the Hearst-Argyle ABC in Prividence, R.I.; WJAR-TV, the Media General NBC in Providence; WTNH-TV, the LIN Television ABC in New Haven, Conn.; and WCTX-TV the LIN MyTV in New Haven. Backchannelmedia has agreements to deploy throughout all LIN Television and Gray Television stations. Combined with Fisher Communications, Clickable TV will be deployed at 81 stations and markets, representing an audience reach of more than 20 percent of the United States.
