1. MAINSTREAM BROADCASTER WEBSITE - WWW.ITV.COM

ITV.com is the online site for the television channel ITV. It is relevant in order to show the way that TV channels are using the web to further their viewers experience and to advertise their channel in more detail and similarly how the audience increased consumption of the web has allowed for the development of such websites.

Everyone who has internet has access to this webpage, however the main people who will be drawn to this website are viewers of ITV or its sister channels such as ITV 2, who watch the commercial shows on the channel such as X Factor. This is because they know the shows and therefore know what they will be interested in on the website. They can use the website to extend their viewing experience by looking at the extra features that the website has on offer, or to discuss their interest in more detail with like minded people through the forums. However even if you are not that interested in ITV itself, the website may still attract you as you can look at other aspects, unrelated to the ITV network itself such as sport. The experience that the audience then have however is dependant on their own personal tastes. For example, if you are a kid, the CITV section of the website may interest you as it has games and more details on shows which are shown on CITV, if you are a soap fan, the dedicated forums for Coronation Street and Emmerdale may be of more interest to you, as they allow you to discuss your interest further. The fact that there are links to this on the main page also entices the audience to discuss this further, as this is something they may not have thought about before going on the site. This is different to in the past, as now the audience can follow up their viewing experience in order to get more information on it, and even discuss it in the forums.

The site in itself offers a lot to people who are interested in shows within the ITV network. The main page is split up with links and pictures to the most popular shows under the categories soaps, sports – F1 news, play – glitter ball, sports – Newcastle vs. Charlton, mobile and ITV dating. Advertising is built into this with ITV dating, and mobile being two of the links planted in to the layout, with the same design as the other links on the site. These links change daily according to what ITV deem will be popular. For example, dancing on ice played a huge part in the ITV layout, however now it is finished, ITV have changed the options. At the top of the page there are further categories such as CITV. Advertisement is also built in here with links to Friends Reunited. A TV guide which shows “tonight’s top shows”, is included on the main page, so you can see the shows which ITV recommend for you. As this is done across all of ITV channels it encourages loyalty to the brand. There is also a scrolling box, which has 5 options for you to choose from. This changes daily, depending on what ITV want to advertise to their audience. For example as it is Sunday, they want to advertise Wild at Heart, which is done by offering the audience a sneak peak, and the focus has been lessened on Dancing on Ice, although there are still inks enticing you to get further information on the final

ITV can entice people to watch their programmes through the website. For example, ITV can play on the hype surrounding the dancing on ice final to produce a greater focus on the website. If people then visit the page and see this hype, they may choose to have a look, which in turn may entice them to watch the final. The website encourages loyalty and gets the audience even further involved within the brand. Exhibition is a key thing with this site. The ITV logo brands the website, as do the colour blue which is connected to the channel. The website also encourages consumption of other media texts for example cookery tips through your mobile phone. It can also act as an advertisement for other TV shows for example the enigma of “who killed Tom King?” and the holiday competition, may entice people to start watching Emmerdale. Enticing people to watch ITV is essential after the huge audience share drop ITV has encountered in recent years to 19.2%. The website also allows ITV to stay on the forefront of technology and keep up with the increasing internet use amongst people nowadays.

It shows an example of interactivity, as the audience can get more from the channel by following it up through the website, immediacy, as the experience is through the internet which is relatively quick, reach as a global audience can be attracted, and online surveillance as ITV can keep tabs on how popular certain parts of the website is. Convergence and non-linear programming is also taking place, as you can watch live streaming of the UFEA cup football either when it is happening or at a later date if that suits you better. This reflects the changing demands of the audience and how they like to be able to watch things when it suits them. Vertical Integration is seen through the advertisement of ITV mobile – a service which allows you to “get the best bits of your favourite ITV programmes... EASY!”, and the use of friends reunited throughout the website – here ITV are playing on their popularity to entice people to go onto friends reunited, generating revenue for themselves from this. Finally it can be see through the links to other ITV TV channels such as ITV 2 which encourages loyalty to the brand.