Interactive TV
Description:
Interactive television is a form of electronic democracy where television acts as a conduit for information on an issue and as a prompt for public opinion on an issue. Public opinion is usually received via telephone calls or email/websites that record information. In some cases, the call acts as a vote on a particular issue.
Objectives:
Interactive TV aims to use television as a medium for voting on issues, expressing opinions, and knowing that these votes and opinions will be recorded and distributed to the larger community. This provides an audiovisual element to the voice of industry, government and community groups.
Outcomes:
Interactive TV will enable people to vote on almost everything via their television, which, as a familiar ‘tool’, increases the chances of more people taking up this option. As a result, a larger range of people may express opinions about, or influence decisions about, community issues and proposals, including some sections of the community who may not otherwise have participated.
Uses/strengths:
- Useful for reaching a wide audience.
- Useful when an issue is very important to the majority of the community.
- Useful when a large sample of the population’s opinion is required.
- Citizen TV may become more available, accessible and familiar than e-democracy internet options.
- Allows TV viewers to share their opinions, needs and ideas.
- Can be useful for education campaigns (e.g. health campaigns).
- Can combine with web and online chat rooms to allow community ideas to exchange ideas in real time.
Special considerations/weaknesses:
- The technology is highly expensive.
- Can limit the number of detailed responses.
- Can be difficult to present issues in an unbiased manner.
- May be attractive to certain sectors of the community and not others.
- Can develop a rich and diverse online community, but may baffle the non-expert users, and so limit inclusiveness.
Resources required:
- Community television
- Telephone staff
- Computer-based recording systems
Can be used for:
- Showcase product, plan, policy
- Engage community
- Discover community issues
- Develop community capacity
- Communicate an issue
Number of people required to help organise:
- Large (> 12 people)
- Medium (2-12 people)
Audience size:
- Large (> 30)
Time required:
- Medium (6 weeks - 6 months)
- Short (< 6 weeks)
Skill level/support required:
- High (Specialist skills)
Cost:
- High (> AUD$10,000)
Participation level:
- Medium (Opinions noted)
Innovation level:
- High (Innovative)
Method:
- Still in the developmental stages, interactive TV is often used commercially for viewer voting on programs and products, but the technology also makes it possible for citizens to be actively involved in voting and commenting on community issues.
- Requires provision of interactive TV, not for sports or shopping, but for local organisations and the public to participate in ‘their’ community local interactive TV.
- Can involve the use of qwerty-handsets within people’s living rooms, or phoning or emailing into the station on a particular topic.
- Viewers can then suggest topics, interviewees, and other directions that the community interactive TV might explore.
References: