Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Twitter is in TV

Twitter Television is the latest twist on the microblogging phenomenon to have captured people's imagination, at least in Spain.

Combining Twitter with TV, the new programme on the country's Veo7 channel allows twitterers to interact with the presenters and their guests.

Thousands of people have been logging in to post tweets, or messages, on any given subject which pop up in real time on the bottom of the TV screen during the hour-long weekly show.

US-based Twitter itself said Twision appeared to be the first show of its kind in the world, although it has no official connection to the social networking site.

"It's not backed at all by Twitter, which is what makes the show even more compelling," said Twitter's vice president for communications, Sean Garrett.

"Anyone can do something like this completely on their own with Twitter's open and public network," he said. The programme also has recorded features and interviews, as well as the latest news on Internet technology and social networking sites.

The first show in March included Spain's NBA basketball star Rudy Fernandez, who answered questions in a "Twitentrevistado", or Twinterview.

Another programme focused on the newly launched iPad, and included an interview with a Spanish hacker based in Houston, Texas.

The Web version, features a "Twitterulia" which shows tweets alongside the broadcast.

Veo7's director Melchor Moralles, one of the two hosts, said some 659,000 people had tuned in for at least part of the first show in March. Two months later, this had slumped to 350,000, although a repeat of the programme is shown the next day.

The figures "prove that there is room for a programme like this," Moralles said in a blog. "Twision is going to succeed, there's no doubt."