BBC iPlayer now on your Blackberry
By Jenny • Mar 5th, 2010 • Category: Industry News
- Photo: BlackBerry
As if the distractions mobile technology has brought with it aren’t bad enough, Blackberry owners – the people responsible for keeping business and corporations humming – are now able to stream the BBC iPlayer on their mobile phone via a webpage.
As you would expect
- Photo: BlackBerry
The service streams on-demand video in the BBC iPlayer’s catalogue from a webpage that’s compatible with the Blackberry. This does not come without limitations, though. Firstly, the service is exclusively wi-fi based, which means getting BBC iPlayer through 3G is not possible. The second thing that is more a requirement than a limitation is that the base Blackberry OS will support this in version 4.2, all the way through to version 5.
Turmoil
The iPlayer on Blackberry is one positive revelation in light of a period of turmoil for the BBC. A leaked document pertaining to the organization’s long-term strategy indicates that 25% of the BBC website staff will lose their jobs in light of the website being downsized by a full 50%. Furthermore, to the ire of users of social media, BBC’s 6 Music will also be abandoned by the organisation.
- Photo: BlackBerry
The reasons cited for this admittedly disappointing revelation are cost cutting measures as well as the appeasement of a potentially conservative government who want to see the BBC competing less with privately owned media corporations. This has been met with fury, disappointment and much debate. While the reasons for doing this are very easy to understand, people wonder if the BBC is not giving too much rope to private corporations who should, like in all business environments, fend for themselves.
An even better experience
Blackberry, which has long been positioned (and purchased) as the phone for business people, will now have one more tool at their disposal to distract its client base from doing what business people do: work.
Tags for this article: BBC iPLayer, blackberry
