New Haven, Conn.-based WTNH-TV and WCTX-TV have announced they will participate in a trial testing interactive advertising technology from Backchannelmedia starting next month.
The stations, owned by LIN TV of Providence, R.I. will test Backchannelmedia’s platform with a select group of viewers and advertisers. Backchannelmedia’s technology allows viewers to interact with TV ads and programs and bookmark interesting content and advertisers offers to view at their convenience. Backchannelmedia announced a similar test with Hearst-Argyle-owned Boston ABC affiliate WCVB last summer.
Participants in the WTNH/WCTX trials will be prompted to click their TV remote controls on small, non-intrusive icons at the bottom of the viewer’s TV screen to “bookmark” offers on items of interest in local news and entertainment programming. The bookmarked content is forwarded to the viewer’s personal Web site branded and framed into WTNH.com for easy viewer access and also logged at a data center, providing information for broadcasters and advertisers. Backchannelmedia’s TV-to-Internet Click Through technology allows broadcasters to engage their viewers, collect valuable data on viewer interaction, drive incremental revenue and move viewers between LIN TV’s TV and Internet channels.
“We are interested in evaluating interactive television applications for our channels. Interactive TV creates unique opportunities for our new media business,” said Robb Richter, senior vice president, new media, LIN TV. “Backchannelmedia’s TV-to-Internet Click Through technology offers viewers a convenient way to interact with our popular television content, which opens the door to a myriad of more advanced marketing opportunities for our advertisers. We look forward to participating in the market trial and strategically evaluating Backchannelmedia’s cutting-edge technology.”
