Opinions: IBC Calling

So this week sees the IBC Show in Amsterdam and I am heading out there tomorrow. An event that used to be all about the Broadcast industry has increasingly attracted the attention of the telecoms media and industry as the convergence of the two fields continues.

Mobile TV and IPTV now occupy quite a large space within the IBC halls and usually manage to feature some of the most innovative pieces of technology.

In the UK we seem to be behind this curve at the moment though. The much talked about Project Canvas still seems to be just that - much talked about- and the operators don't yet seem to have found a mobile tv solution that is both feasible and profitable.

The dominance of Sky in the UK TV premium content market and the success of the BBC iPlayer have a lot to do with this lack of progress on the bigger issues. The simple fact is that PC-based TV viewing is on the rise - in both live and catch-up tv formats and with existing technnology doing the job so well, ambitious concepts such as Project Canvas struggle to flourish.

The UK broadcast market is very different and represents something of a challenge. With a successful subscription-based premium content supplier on the one hand, and publicly-funded free-to-air giant on the other - the traditional advertising funded free-to-air players are being squeezed from both sides; what's more, it is hard to see IPTV or Internet services riding to form any kind of rescue party.

That is my personal backdrop to IBC, and while the UK consumer is not exactly shouting - "give me IPTV and mobile TV now" - I'll be at the show looking out for solutions and services that might just trigger change.