About the �鶹Լ�� Feed

Taking VR on the road

2018-03-21T10:00:00+00:00

Virtual reality is moving fast at the �鶹Լ��. In October last year, we launched �鶹Լ�� VR Hub, a new studio that will spearhead the �鶹Լ��’s VR production and explore how VR can create real audience impact.

In the last few weeks we have released our first film, Damming the Nile VR, a two-part VR news documentary series exploring the water politics of the famous river. Viewers go on assignment with the �鶹Լ�� News team on a fascinating journey, taking in the Nile’s beautiful sights and dramatic sounds as they travel through canyons and fly above waterfalls. But they also learn about the political tensions that might be behind the world’s first war over water.

Damming the Nile VR was produced in partnership with �鶹Լ�� News, and has been designed as a high quality mobile VR experience and released for both Gear VR in a new app and on YouTube, in part because we wanted the film to be as accessible as possible, something that hasn’t always been the case. Our previous experiments have produced some wonderful experiences, but not everyone has the hardware required to try them out.

That’s why we decided to take some of our top VR experiences out on the road to universities across the country to bring this new technology to the next generation. We created our ‘VR Box’ and took it to Manchester Metropolitan University, Swansea University and Oxford Brookes University to let students try out some VR from the �鶹Լ�� for themselves and get a taste of the future.

One of the experiences they could try was �鶹Լ�� – A VR Spacewalk, an interactive VR film inspired by British astronaut Tim Peake’s real-life experiences training with NASA. In the experience, you risk your life on a spacewalk 250 miles above the Earth’s surface. Your task is to make a repair on the outside of the International Space Station, before being confronted with a terrifying emergency situation.

For the students who tried it, the experience was transformative. One student said that it was "pretty amazing" and describing it as "the first and only chance I’ll ever get this close to space". Another said that VR is "definitely a big new field to go and discover", adding that "there’s so much to learn and we’re just at the beginning". �鶹Լ�� – A VR Spacewalk launched publicly for the first time recently and is now available to download for free via the Steam Store and the Oculus Store.

The �鶹Լ�� VR Box also featured an interactive VR fairytale, The Turning Forest, currently available for Google Daydream and the Samsung Gear VR. This transports you to a magical, musical forest, where you stare into the eyes of a fantastical creature before embarking on a journey together.

As well as being a beautiful VR spectacle, the Turning Forest also demonstrates the importance of sound in immersive experiences. It was built from the sound up, and features a spatial soundtrack that uses dynamic binaural audio. As you turn your head the sound moves too, creating a thoroughly immersive environment that feels like a real place.

VR Box also showed how you can use VR to step into your favourite TV shows. The Queen Vic Experience enables EastEnders fans to explore Walford’s famous pub, with interactive elements that let you pull a pint, throw darts and play on the piano. You can even spot Den and Angie’s divorce papers if you look carefully enough.

Students also learnt first-hand about working in VR. Producers and specialists from �鶹Լ�� Research & Development, �鶹Լ�� Three and �鶹Լ�� Wales gave talks about working with virtual reality and how it can transform storytelling. And they explained how working at the �鶹Լ�� gives them the opportunity to work on innovative projects that push boundaries, helping them create something truly unique.

For example, �鶹Լ�� Three producer Ian Ravenscroft spoke to students in Oxford and Swansea about a series he produced called Step Inside My Head. The series of short films saw people with different mental health issues use a VR tool called a Google Tilt Brush to ‘paint’ what their condition feels like.

Ian and his team then used an innovative mixed-reality filming technique to capture the painting process – using VR as a film-making technique for the first time for the �鶹Լ��. The resulting films are beautiful and help give people some understanding of what mental health conditions like borderline personality disorder, psychotic depression and anorexia and bulimia feel like.

The �鶹Լ�� has always sought to innovate to serve current and future audiences, from our first days broadcasting radio in 1922, to introducing colour TV in the Sixties, right through to VR today. Thanks to the early experiments that have taken VR Box on tour, we’ve been able to look at what works and what doesn’t, and to better understand how we can tell stories in this new and exciting medium.

In the future, VR Hub will continue to take the lessons learned from these early experiments to create more moving, engaging and memorable new experiences across a wide range of genres, and help usher this new and emerging medium into the mainstream.

Zillah Watson is Head of �鶹Լ�� VR Hub

We’re experimenting with content for Voice

2017-10-18T07:00:00+00:00

Every so often a technology comes along that could change how we consume information, ideas and entertainment. Each time the �鶹Լ�� has been at the cutting edge, in big and small ways. We may be experiencing something similar again.

Over the past few years, companies such as Amazon, Apple and Google have launched ‘smart speaker’ systems — with over 10 million sold so far worldwide. These devices operate in an area we at the �鶹Լ�� know well: audio. You control them with your voice, and the device doesn’t just play back radio or podcasts — it also speaks back to you itself, interactively, allowing all sorts of things from internet search to using specially designed apps. As well as this, many smartphones now have a voice-assistant function. The catch-all term for these changes is ‘Voice’.

Speaking at the �鶹Լ�� recently, a leading digital thinker said to us that he thought Voice would transform broadcasting. He pointed out that a fifth of searches on mobile are already being spoken. But he said that what was missing now was great content from people like the �鶹Լ��.

We’re on the case.

Why?

Well, it’s not just that our public purposes require us to make “innovative content”.

It’s also why we were created. The �鶹Լ�� was set up by wireless manufacturers to make programmes for the sets they were trying to sell. The catch-all term for these devices was ‘radio’ and the �鶹Լ�� was set up to provide a service for this disruptive new technology.

The �鶹Լ��’s first engineer, Peter Eckersley, was also its first creative force — from a hut near Chelmsford, he used to put on evenings of entertainment. When it was opera, he used to perform the songs himself.

Some 90 years later, the CTO of the �鶹Լ�� isn’t an opera singer. So this time it’s a partnership between Matthew Postgate’s division, �鶹Լ�� Design and Engineering, and the content divisions of the �鶹Լ��.

We’ve appointed a product lead, Andy Webb; whilst no opera singer, he does provide great strategic thinking for positioning the �鶹Լ�� in an AI-first economy and an Editor for what we are calling Experimental Voice Audio, Mukul Devichand, who previously created and ran some of �鶹Լ�� News’ noted digital units, �鶹Լ�� Trending and World Hacks. �鶹Լ�� News Labs have been running hacks for a while now to work out the potential of voice for news and current affairs and we aim to build on that.

What are we going to do?

In digital, we often talk about ‘crawl, walk, run’, and that’s what we’ll do here.

By Christmas, we’ll have started moving.

They’ll be more on that soon — but if you get a voice device from Santa, see what the �鶹Լ�� can help you do.

We’re going to find out what content works particularly well on voice devices. In the same way that streaming has made binge watching a thing, conversational devices could change both what and how we consume. At the moment, people are using the devices for basic tasks like weather, music, news — so we’ll look at those areas. It’s also potentially the first internet device that many children will be allowed to use. The �鶹Լ�� already does CBeebies Radio — we’ll think about how that could evolve on this new medium.

We’d expect to start testing this content next year.

Finally, we’re thinking about how Voice could transform how we inform, educate and entertain. We’re running some innovation groups and would love to work with partners who have good ideas, in both content and tech.

We’re starting with small experiments, like the one from our R&D team — Inspection Chamber — which we’ll be launching shortly — but think the potential here could be significant. We’ll keep you updated with how we get on.

Meanwhile, if you want to work with us, get in touch with me.

James Purnell is Director of Radio and Education.

Follow James Purnell on twitter.

A more personal �鶹Լ�� for everyone

2016-09-27T08:00:00+00:00

We’ve just had one of the most successful summers of sport for the UK – with huge medal tallies from our Olympic and Paralympic athletes in Rio, Andy Murray winning Wimbledon and an action-packed Euro 2016.

Now, with the autumn TV schedule in full swing and the return of favourites such as Poldark and Strictly – we’re looking forward to bringing the nation together with the best British content.

But like others– from Twitter to eBay, Facebook to Netflix, from Channel 4 to Amazon - in addition to these shared moments, we’re also seeing more and more of you want to have an experience that’s personalised and tailored to what you like.

We’ve already started delivering these kinds of services – like helping you catch all the action you wanted during the Olympics. Throughout the summer of sport, millions chose to get alerted the action anytime (day or night) – with 2.8 million people subscribing to alerts.

And it’s not just sport. On �鶹Լ�� iPlayer for example, viewers received 70 million personalised programme recommendations - making sure they got more of what they love or discovered something they might not have otherwise found from the �鶹Լ��.

For those who opted in, we also sent out 22 million emails highlighting great new and returning content from across the �鶹Լ�� - increasingly personalised to their interests. And, we’ve launched new personalised �鶹Լ�� Music, �鶹Լ�� Bitesize and �鶹Լ��+ mobile apps – bringing the �鶹Լ�� content you care about to your finger-tips.

It’s time for a change

With over seven million of you signing into the �鶹Լ�� or registering for the first time over the last year, it’s time to make some changes to ensure all of you get the best from your �鶹Լ��. These changes will happen in two stages.

In the first stage, this week, we’ll be updating our sign-in system to be more robust, reliable and secure than ever before. For people registering for the first time we will make it easier and more welcoming. We’ll also be asking you for a little more information - including your postcode if you’re over 18. Why you ask? By knowing your postcode, it will help us understand how people from different places are using the �鶹Լ��. It will also let us make local news and weather in your area easier to find - and recommend content and events which may be particularly relevant to where you live. It will also ensure we’re making something for everyone and inform what programmes we make in the future.

For those of you signed into the �鶹Լ�� already you will need to sign in again – but don’t fear, we’ve made it as easy and hassle-free as possible. At the same time, we’re launching a new area on our website called ‘Using the �鶹Լ��’ – a jargon-free area which gives you more information around how we treat your data and ensure its privacy, your �鶹Լ�� ID account and what we will (and importantly won’t) do with your data. Our promise is simple. We will only collect data we need to give you a better experience, improve our services and fulfil our responsibilities as a public service. It’s up to you how you use our services – so you can manage or delete your �鶹Լ�� account at any time. And, because we’re a public service, we will help you make informed decisions about your data, so everyone can get the best out of digital technologies and the �鶹Լ��. And finally - we promise to never sell your personal details to anyone and to only use your data commercially if you are using commercial �鶹Լ�� services, like �鶹Լ�� Store.

The second stage is that from early next year, we want everyone to enjoy the benefits of a more personalised �鶹Լ��. To do this, we’ll be asking everyone to sign in to use �鶹Լ�� iPlayer, �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Radio and in future on our mobile apps.

We know that when others have done this, viewing often takes a dip as people take time to sign up - so we’re fully prepared for that. Over the next few months we’ll be encouraging as many of you as possible to log in early - and start enjoying some of these personalised features. And don’t worry, we’ve made it really simple, so once you’ve done it once on your device, that’s it - you’re good to go.

Some of you might be thinking that this is driven by the changes to the so-called ‘iPlayer loophole’ which means you now need a TV licence to download or watch �鶹Լ�� programmes on demand on iPlayer. It’s not – it’s about giving you a better �鶹Լ��. As we said earlier this month, we’ll carry on using our existing enforcement processes and techniques which we believe to be adequate and appropriate. In fact, early TV Licensing data shows that – as we expected - significant numbers of new people have bought a licence since the new rules came into force. We will keep our processes under review to make sure they are effective. The Government has asked us to review whether a verification system for accessing the iPlayer will be required in the future.

Go on, sign-in

This autumn’s schedule is packed full of fantastic British drama, comedy and entertainment including the return of critically acclaimed series Our Girl, The Fall, Ordinary Lies, Dragons' Den and Asian Provocateur to name but a few. Not only do we hope you enjoy those more familiar programmes, but we also want to help you discover something you might not otherwise have found.

Give it a go. It will only take a minute. We think you’ll like it.

Helen Boaden is Director of �鶹Լ�� Radio and Executive Sponsor for my�鶹Լ��

Read more on the Media Centre

Supporting our Tech Talent

2016-09-26T13:04:48+00:00

Since it launched nearly two years ago the �鶹Լ��’s Make it Digital initiative has brought together dozens of partners to promote and celebrate all forms of digital creativity, and inspired millions of people to get involved with the technologies that surround us. Digital creativity opens doors to allow us all to take part in and shape our world, and to get many of the good jobs of the future. Digital is the means of production of the coming century we want everyone to control.

We believe that creating a level playing field when it comes to digital opportunity is vital because so much of what we do every day is shaped by digital. We've worked with our partners to deliver real change, using the �鶹Լ��’s ability to create compelling shows and content and bringing audiences together to encourage people to try something new, like uploading a photograph, signing up as a digital trainee or writing code.

Across �鶹Լ�� News outlets last week, under the banner Tech Talent, we asked whether the UK can compete in the global technology industry - and why we haven't produced a tech giant on the scale of Google or Apple. It’s a topic that matters to everyone involved in Make it Digital, because liberating everyone’s digital creativity, and encouraging entrepreneurs – or those who might become entrepreneurs – are pretty important to our thinking. Creating new companies, coming up with ideas that can change the world, and developing innovative technologies are all aspects of the sort of creativity we want to unleash, alongside our partners.

�鶹Լ�� Weather Watchers

We’re doing this in lots of ways. Working with libraries across the UK we’re encouraging people to sign up as �鶹Լ�� Weather Watchers, posting photographs and weather observations to our website where they can be seen and regularly used on �鶹Լ�� Weather forecasts on television and online. We think that this sort of easy engagement with modern tools like smartphones and digital cameras is vital to build a society that is at ease with the capabilities of the internet and computers.

And on Wednesday evening last week, The One Show featured a wide selection of Weather Watchers photographs as they talked about the Great British Summer that has just come to a stormy end.

�鶹Լ�� micro:bit

We’ve also distributed up to a million �鶹Լ�� micro:bits to 11 and 12 year olds across the entire UK, and as they all enter year 8, or equivalent, we look forward to seeing the fruits of their creative coding reflected in a range of projects as exciting as sending a �鶹Լ�� micro:bit, alongside a Raspberry Pi, into space. If you missed them, here are some amazing examples of how people have used their �鶹Լ�� micro:bits.

Coming up is The Big Food Survey, in collaboration with Wellcome Foundation's ‘The Crunch’. It will be the UK’s biggest ever food and health survey for 12 and 13 year olds, which will take place from Monday 3 -7 October. Students will be asked to use their �鶹Լ�� micro:bits, to gather data about their eating habits over the course of one day.

Then there’s Build it Scotland, which is marking Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design by encouraging budding architects aged 7-14 to help build Scotland’s top landmarks in a virtual world using 3D design software such as Minecraft, TinkerCad or Sketchup using PCs, laptops or Raspberry Pi. The deadline is October 20th, and we will see what they have created in November when the map is unveiled in Dundee, which is the finale event for the Festival of Architecture and the map with the landmarks will be projected on to a building in the city.

These are just a few of the Make it Digital projects that are inspiring people of all ages and all skill levels to get creative with digital tools. As for Tech Talent’s question of whether the UK can build its own Google or Apple – we think that we can, and that dozens of partners working with Make it Digital can help. Who knows - the CEO of the big British success of 2030 might be coding a �鶹Լ�� micro:bit in a classroom near you!

Jessica Cecil is Controller of �鶹Լ�� Make it Digital.

A new way of navigating the �鶹Լ��’s archive of permanently available programmes

2016-09-09T10:24:08+00:00

Currently there are over 15,000 permanently available programmes, largely radio programmes, on the �鶹Լ�� website dating back decades, but they can be very difficult to find. From today, we’re launching a new piece of technology called ADA (Automated Data Architecture) that unearths and helps people navigate the �鶹Լ��’s rich archive of permanently available programmes.

As you can see below, it adds a list of related topic tags under the description of the programme. So if you’ve just listened to an episode on Ada Lovelace and were interested in other notable women of the Victorian era, you can now click that tag and find all the permanently available programmes on that topic. There are programmes on Beatrix Potter, Florence Nightingale and Sylvia Pankhurst to name a few. There will also be up to three recommended programmes on the right hand side, with a link to the topic that connects them.

This seemingly small change to a programme page can lead you down interesting little alleyways to fascinating places you never expected to visit. For example, starting off at Ada Lovelace can take you all the way to a programme on Julius Caesar via ‘the Byron family’ followed by ‘Fellows of the Royal Society’ then ‘Captain James Cook’ and finally the ‘Deaths by stabbing’ topic tags. Give it a try here and see where you end up.

Some programmes like Desert Island Discs, which have a lot of programmes available, have navigation which is tailored very carefully to the brand. This makes it easy to find programmes but also means the system cannot be re-used across other �鶹Լ�� brands or programmes.

Most programmes do not have any way of browsing by subject though, especially one off documentaries and short series. They can be found by searching, but only if you already know what you are looking for and what it is called. Even then it’s very hard to find something new or surprising, even though there are so many programmes available.

Some attempts have been made to bring these hidden gems to light, but these have always involved a lot of manual curation of content by editors to find and keep the collections updated, which simply isn’t sustainable.

What we wanted to do was to find a way of connecting up all of these programmes in an automated way, and make it easier for our producers so they could spend all their time on creating the programmes we love. The �鶹Լ�� News and Sport websites use linked data to populate their pages, so with the infrastructure already set up to create and add tags, it seemed like this would be useful in connecting programmes.

However, it’s not as simple as just adding tags; you need to provide journeys between the tagged things. In Sport they have a structure which describes the relationship between things, which is used to power their website, so they know that a person belongs to a team which is part of a league which is part of a sport, therefore they only need to tag a story with a person and it will pop up on all of the relevant pages on the sport site.

In programmes there is no clear structure that can be added to the tags to create links between programmes, and with the subject of programmes being as diverse as the A470, Munch's “The Scream”, the cronut, Canada geese, existentialism and the Battle of Bosworth Field, it was clear that creating our own would be an enormous and maybe even impossible task.

We did look at using a variety of existing systems and approaches, such as Dewey Decimal found in libraries, and crowdsourcing where enthusiasts can help tag programmes, but none quite fitted the bill. After a great deal of searching and trial and error we found that the categories in Wikipedia looked very promising.

Categories are added by Wikipedians because they believe them to be important facets of the subject of the page, so they are likely to be more interesting than a dry statement of fact about each subject. They are also checked by other Wikipedians and will be removed if they disagree, so there’s a certain amount of quality control built in as well.

Using these categories, we built a beta system where we simply tagged each programme with its subject, gathered the Wikipedia categories for that subject automatically and matched them up, providing links between the programmes. This automatically created the navigation architecture that we needed, without us having to spend hours designing and updating it.

We needed to test it and put it through its paces so we looked at In Our Time, which has a rich archive of over 700 programmes with a wide range of subjects including people, places, events and philosophical terms. We felt if it worked for In Our Time it would work with anything.

The beta was launched in spring of last year and we promoted it on �鶹Լ�� Taster so we could get as much feedback as possible. We got a great response, with an overall rating of 4.15 stars (out of 5) which was really encouraging. Even better though, was the feedback we got through the beta itself, where people could actually tell us what they thought. This was brilliant because, given that most of them were positive about the experience and we were looking at rolling it out across all programmes, we needed to know what people liked and didn’t like so we could improve the whole experience.

Some people preferred navigating topics in other ways, such as by date or A-Z, and these will still be available in the programme pages for those who prefer that, alongside the additional topic journeys. Some thought a hierarchical structure for the topics would be better, so they could look at a broader subject and refine such as choosing ‘history’ then ‘19th century’. The difficulty with that sort of navigation is that it requires a lot of man hours inputting things into categories and also removes much of the serendipity of finding new links between things, which people told us they really liked.

Interestingly, some people realised that manually tagging all of these topics would be incredibly time-consuming, assumed that’s what we’d done and felt we shouldn’t have spent so much time doing it. But of course that was exactly the problem ADA was solving. And another user commented that they found they were learning about the subjects of the programmes just through the journeys and the tags, even before they had listened to them.

Many people commented on the fact that once they’d found new programmes they couldn’t download them in our stripped-down beta. This won’t be a problem in the new version as it will be integrated with the existing programme pages. Others asked for things we hadn’t thought of, like the ability to subscribe to the podcasts by topic and to favourite topics so they could be updated with new programmes of interest automatically. They seem like great ideas, and although we’re still working on perfecting this, they’re definitely on our list to look at when we’re done.

Lots more asked whether we could roll this out to other programmes, which is what we will be doing, so you should be able to find everything on social philosophy, for example, not just for one programme but across a variety of them.

We’re starting out small with a handful of programmes, including In Our Time of course, and will continue to expand over the coming months. We really hope that you enjoy finding new programmes and discovering more hidden gems in the archive, and we’d love to hear about the fascinating journeys you find yourself on.

Jo Kent, Business Analyst, �鶹Լ�� Radio & Music Multiplatform.

Rio 2016 Olympics ready, set, press red

2016-08-04T11:56:52+00:00

I’m Jennifer Richardson and I’m a Senior Product Manager in �鶹Լ�� Design & Engineering based in Salford. I’m the Product Manager for �鶹Լ�� Red Button+ and the �鶹Լ�� Sport and �鶹Լ�� News apps on connected TV.

In close collaboration with product and editorial teams from �鶹Լ�� Sport, �鶹Լ�� Live and �鶹Լ�� News – and along with colleagues in Engineering and User Experience & Design, we’ve reimagined the �鶹Լ��’s connected TV experience ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, relaunching our News, Sport and, most recently, Red Button+ products.

We’ve also launched an enhanced experience for all live coverage of our major sporting, cultural and music events, including the Olympic Games.

The Rio Olympic Games presents a key opportunity to provide our audience with the best possible experience on their connected TV; we want our audience to feel like they’re at the event and never miss a moment of the action.

When we set out to rethink Red Button+, our goal was to provide frictionless access from �鶹Լ�� television channels to compelling content from �鶹Լ�� iPlayer, Sport and News and more.

We’ve done this by improving the navigation between all of our �鶹Լ�� TV apps – and we’ve given �鶹Լ�� News and Sport a makeover, unifying design and interaction patterns so that users of �鶹Լ�� iPlayer will discover a familiar pattern when browsing, watching or reading content across all �鶹Լ�� products.

During the �鶹Լ��’s Olympic coverage on television, ‘pressing red’ on your connected TV will instantly connect you with up to 24 HD streams of live coverage from �鶹Լ�� Sport, so nobody needs to miss a moment of the action that they want to watch.

We’ve made it easy to navigate to other sports, restart coverage if the start of an event has been missed, get the latest highlights, see what action’s coming up and catch up on any medal moments from previous days.

Plus it’s now even easier to access �鶹Լ�� iPlayer from a connected TV by ‘pressing red’, giving our audience a quick way to find the programmes they want to watch, or quickly restart the programme they are currently watching.

An innovative engineering solution underpins this change to our audience-facing products, meaning all our connected TV apps now share a common code-base, known internally as TAP (TV Application Platform). This approach eases the burden on support teams, enables faster product innovation and helps us to make our content available on more devices more easily - all through practical adoption of platform-thinking.

Jennifer Richardson is Senior Product Manager in �鶹Լ�� Design & Engineering.

The �鶹Լ�� are the official broadcaster for the Rio 2016 Olympics in the UK.
Find out more about Red Button+ and TV support.
For more about �鶹Լ�� Sports Rio 2016 Olympics coverage read Kieran Clifton's blog 'The Rio 2016 Olympic Games, live on the �鶹Լ��'.

Exploring VR and immersive video

2016-06-08T17:14:29+00:00

The �鶹Լ�� has always been an innovator in technology from installing TV transmitters at Alexandra Palace in 1936 to streaming the Six Nations Rugby Internationals to Tim Peake onboard the International Space Station in February this year. The �鶹Լ�� has always innovated in content as well, from launching the UK’s first sci-fi TV series, Doctor Who, in 1963 to using that very same show to launch the Doctor and the Dalek game which introduces children to coding and programming.

Virtual reality and the world of immersive video is the latest place where we’re seeing the convergence of new technologies with new forms of storytelling. It is a fascinating, nascent and constantly evolving space. And you may have seen that we’ve recently experimented with 360 degree video, transporting the viewer to the Strictly dancefloor or coming face-to-face with the largest dinosaur to walk the Earth, guided by David Attenborough.

'Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur'

Today we’re launching another onto �鶹Լ�� Taster, giving audiences a unique Queen’s eye view of ‘Trooping the Colour’. Teams from around the �鶹Լ�� have been working on a small number of ‘true VR’ experiments as well, which we’re also unveiling today. Andy Conroy, who heads up �鶹Լ�� Research and Development, has blogged about some of these more advanced projects, which you can find on the �鶹Լ�� R&D Blog. This is all part of the �鶹Լ��’s early experimentation to help us better understand emerging technology and new mediums, explore the potential for future audiences, and see what kind of role the �鶹Լ�� should, or shouldn’t, be playing.

In terms of the technology, the main difference is that VR is more interactive and immersive than 360 degree video, which is very much as it sounds - a video played out in 360 degrees around the viewer. However, both have the potential to give viewers a sense of presence. This is interesting to us as programme makers as it can help make people feel like they’re at the heart of the action or the story, which could help future audiences better understand important current affairs, news, science and history topics or give them a new perspective.

Camera on the dais at Horse Guards Parade Ground captures 'Queen's eye view' of the Major General's Review of Trooping the Colour

Experimenting with 360 video also has an advantage from a production point of view. The cameras or camera rigs are widely available and give programme makers the chance to see how it might complement our storytelling elsewhere, or get even more out of the projects they’re already working on. And we have hugely talented editorial teams inside �鶹Լ�� Studios wanting to explore this potential too - it's the people behind our BAFTA award winning TV series like Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners, VE Day, and Stargazing Live that are piloting these experiments on Taster.

But they are not doing this on their own. VR pioneers like Oscar Raby, digital agencies like Rewind, Aardman, VRTOV and Crossover Labs, �鶹Լ�� R&D specialists like Zillah Watson and Simon Lumb, along with teams in �鶹Լ�� Learning and innovation teams across �鶹Լ�� TV are forming a "coalition of the willing and able" to better understand the opportunities and challenges in this emerging field.

For example, as well as watching Alexander Armstrong's �鶹Լ�� One documentary Rome's Invisible City, Alexander can now take you on a 3D tour of Rome's magnificent pantheon in virtual reality. �鶹Լ�� Learning can complement a TV and Radio season around the Easter Rising by transporting you to O’Connell Street in 1916, immersing you in one of the �鶹Լ��’s first VR documentaries Easter Rising: Voice of a Rebel. And in addition to watching Tim Peake on �鶹Լ�� Two's Stargazing Live, we can now put you in his spaceboots and send you 240 miles into the void above Earth in �鶹Լ�� – a VR Spacewalk - inspired by the real VR training Tim performed.

Audiences have already responded to other immersive pilots on Taster. In fact there have been over eight million views for projects as varied as the Natural History Unit's Sir David Attenborough & The Giant Dinosaur, Click's tour of the CERN Large Hadron Collider and Strictly Come Dancing, all in 360 video. Almost 2,000 pieces of feedback from people on �鶹Լ�� Taster have been completed with audiences responding favourably with an average score of 3.5 out of 5 stars, and comments stating that they felt immersed, part of the story - some even said it was "more real than TV".

Where these experiments with immersive technologies will take us is uncertain. They offer a glimpse of the promise of VR and what immersive experiences could provide to audiences, but they also bring new challenges we need to better understand. This is very early days, but these experiments, and the audience and industry feedback we can get from �鶹Լ�� Taster, are helping us do just that - helping inform any strategy the �鶹Լ�� may need in future.

my�鶹Լ�� – an update a year on

2016-05-07T08:00:35+00:00

Just over a year ago, �鶹Լ�� Director-General Tony Hall set out his vision for a more personal �鶹Լ�� in a world that’s ever more digital. A �鶹Լ�� that’s moving from broadcasting the same content and programming to everyone – to a much more personalised, two-way relationship. By knowing more about what you like (and dislike), we can ensure you get the most of out of your �鶹Լ�� – and help you find more of the content you like.

At the time he said: “It's the start of a real transformation – the my�鶹Լ�� revolution. How to reinvent public service broadcasting through data. But we will always be doing it in a �鶹Լ�� way – not telling you what customers like you bought, but what citizens like you would love to watch and need to know.”

What have we been doing?

Since then, we’ve been working hard to bring this ambition to life. And, today we’ve published a progress report – sharing how we’re getting on. This includes the launch of a host of new personalised features for those of you that have signed in to the �鶹Լ�� and changed some of the systems behind the scenes to help us know more about you – so we can give you more of what you want from the �鶹Լ��.

These are already starting to benefit millions of you. In fact, in the last year, 6.4 million of you have signed in to the �鶹Լ�� – with over a third of you coming back to the �鶹Լ�� on a monthly basis to benefit from personalised signed-in experiences. And, since this time last year:

1.6 billion �鶹Լ�� programmes have been recommended to you - based on what you’ve previously watched/listened to and are interested in
1.4 billion personalised alerts have been sent via the �鶹Լ�� Sport app - along with 27 billion breaking news alerts from the �鶹Լ�� News app. Leicester football fans might have had a few of these over the weekend.
In the last 3 months alone, 1.7 million of you have personalised your myNews section on the �鶹Լ�� News app and website – selecting over 12 million topics to track.
Personalised experiences - including �鶹Լ�� iPlayer play, pause and resume notifications; and recommendations have been used by you an average 800 million times a day. I had a Calvin Harris doc recommended to me the other day – I wouldn’t have found without it being recommended to me.
There’s been an increase of 400% in the number of you signing up to our pan �鶹Լ�� newsletters – which we’re increasingly making more relevant to your tastes and preferences.
Over 400 editorial staff are using real-time analytics on a minute-by-minute, day-by-day basis to help them tailor our online experiences for �鶹Լ�� News and the �鶹Լ��’s �鶹Լ��page

What we’re up to next

Our plans are focused on you – and we’re not stopping here. In the next couple of months, we’ll be launching a new mobile app called �鶹Լ��+, helping you discover collections of content you’re interested in from across the �鶹Լ�� in a simple, easy to use app. And, if like me you’re a big sports fan – we’ll be making everything from our coverage of the Euros in France to Olympics in Rio more personalised than ever.

This, along with rolling out more personalised features to our products, renewed privacy and data policy (in plain English) and a new more secure and simple ID system will ensure you continue to find the things you love from your �鶹Լ�� – and discover more hidden gems that you might not otherwise have found.

Phil Fearnley is Director �鶹Լ��page and my�鶹Լ��

Download the full my�鶹Լ�� Progress Report.

How a PDT (People with Disabilities in Tech) event helped me work at the �鶹Լ��

2016-03-16T10:00:00+00:00

A year ago Ben Mustill-Rose, a developer who is blind, attended a PDT event in Salford, two weeks ago he joined the �鶹Լ�� as a Developer in Test, here he charts his journey.

It's just after 7am and I'm on a train, traveling to a school to do some testing for an app we're about to launch. A year ago I was unemployed and probably still asleep; now I work for one of the largest media organisations in the world and I've turned into one of those annoying people on the train who insists on taking up all the table space with their laptop.

My introduction to the �鶹Լ�� came in the form of attending a People with Disabilities in Tech (PDT) event in Salford this time last year. I wasn't completely sure what to expect but I reasoned that since it was a free event I didn't really have a huge amount to lose and the alternative was sitting at home continuing to look for a job in tech.

The PDT event was part of a series of free, open door sessions that are designed to encourage a range of more diverse people – including women and people with disabilities – to apply for tech jobs at the �鶹Լ��.

Ben at People with Disabilities in Tech (PDT) event in Salford in 2015

I felt very welcome on the day and I really enjoyed finding out about what it's really like to work at the �鶹Լ��. As someone with a disability it was particularly good to be able to talk to other disabled staff to find out what support is available, for example Assistive Tech and Access to Work.

In addition there was a huge amount of info on offer about the tons of tech products they work on, for example what it's like to build a platform like iPlayer that gets hundreds of millions of requests per month. Or to hear from the team that design games played by millions of children or to learn how the �鶹Լ�� has automated the monitoring of all their online real estate. That's just a taster of the sort of information you learn at one of these events - it's all pretty impressive I'm sure you'll agree.

Ben Mustill-Rose with some IT students from the Royal National College for the Blind

Having attended the event I decided to apply for the �鶹Լ��'s Extend scheme. Extend has changed a bit this year but at the time ‘Extendees’ were given a 6 month placement within one of the �鶹Լ�� departments, the idea being that at the end of the placement you'd be in a good position to apply for further work at the �鶹Լ��. I'm always hesitant to apply to things like Extend - as a rule I tend to lean more toward mainstream opportunities, but I was (rightly) encouraged to think of it as a foot in the door that would enable me to prove myself.

I could write an entire blog post on the things that I've done in my placement and still not scratch the surface. As a developer in test within mobile iPlayer I've been doing all the obvious things like developing and testing but even those two things warrant blog posts of their own.

We do lots of test automation in iPlayer so some of my work has involved extending our existing tools in tandem with running manual tests and helping other teams in adopting our testing practices with a small amount of devops mixed in for good measure.

I also spend quite a bit of time giving UX/accessibility type advice to other teams. I've had a noticeable impact on lots of other products that have yet to be released which is a really great feeling; I can't quite believe how much responsibility I was given from day one - I definitely got thrown in at the deep end but fortunately I enjoy a challenge!

Something that I wasn't aware of before I joined is how much outreach the �鶹Լ�� does. I'm now a STEM ambassador which sees me represent my department at various careers fairs / STEM events which is always incredibly satisfying; I really enjoy giving something back and I'm thrilled that the �鶹Լ�� recognise the importance of these sort of activities.

At the �鶹Լ�� we do things that change the world and we're building things that nobody has ever built before. Every day that I go into work I know that the things I'm doing are making a real difference both externally and internally and it's for these reasons that I was delighted to accept the offer of a permanent developer in test role on the iPlayer team a couple of weeks ago.

I’m the living proof that if you’ve got the right skills then it really is possible to go from attending a Diversity in Tech event to working on some of our flagship products. If you're at all interested in working for us then I would highly recommend that you check out the details of the next event which is taking place on the 8th of April in London.

If you’re reading this thinking I’d never get a job in tech at the �鶹Լ�� then I totally understand, I used to think the same thing, even though I’d got a good degree in Computer Science and some relevant work experience – but if you don’t bother applying, or attending an event, then you’ll simply never know.

And if you don’t come to the next event you’ll also miss out on hearing me present about my work on �鶹Լ�� iPlayer – and a pint at the end of the day. Convinced yet? You should be. I hope to meet you then.

Ben Mustill-Rose is a �鶹Լ�� Developer in Test

Find out more about the next Diversity in Tech Conference on 8 April 2016

Gearing up for the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit arrival

2016-02-26T11:57:54+00:00

It’s been just over a month since we took the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit to Bett 2016 – one of the world’s leading educational trade and technology shows. It was an anxious moment for us – we’ve been working on the device for more than a year now with our partners and have involved teachers throughout the design and testing, but it was the first time we’d put it in front of such a large number of them.

It’s fair to say we were overwhelmed by the reaction we received. The Huffington Post kindly claimed the micro:bit stole the show and it was great to see the excitement generated on Twitter from the attendees who managed to win some in a competition run by our colleagues at Microsoft.

Since then, it’s been all systems go. We promised that teachers would receive their boards around half-term and it’s been a joy to see these micro:bits make their way to educators across the country over the last couple of weeks. Here at �鶹Լ�� Learning’s HQ, in the midst of what is undoubtedly the most ambitious education campaign we’ve ever delivered, we’ve been hugely motivated and encouraged by the online reaction – from excited selfies and tweets as micro:bits arrive, to teachers and students taking part in the IET’s Faraday Challenge and even creating wearables already.

Many teachers have contacted us directly to express their delight at the simplicity of the device and at its seemingly limitless potential – especially when paired up with other hardware. Our online resources have also proven popular and teachers have very quickly been adding to them by sharing their own teaching plans and discoveries across social media and on various online forums.

It feels like this adventure into the world of coding is really gaining pace. And so it’s with great excitement that I’m now able to say that we will be starting our delivery to pupils on Tuesday, March 22nd.

We could not be more excited for the day to arrive. This has been a digital literacy project on an unprecedented scale and this will be a truly landmark moment for the �鶹Լ��, our partners, and most importantly children across the UK.

Schools will receive an email when their devices are en route and they can expect to receive enough �鶹Լ�� micro:bits for each Year 7 pupil as well as additional spares and some to be kept as a classroom resource. They will also receive all the necessary add-ons including mini usb cables, battery packs and batteries.

There have also been exciting developments on other fronts too.

The official �鶹Լ�� micro:bit app for Android went live this week and will connect the micro:bit to smartphones and tablets, allowing young people to code their micro:bits on the go whether they are in the playground, on the school bus or at home with the whole family. For example, they will be able to build their own selfie remote controller, launching their phone camera by pressing a button on their micro:bit, or even build their very own security alarm using the micro:bit's sensors.

We want children to be able to programme the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit from any device they want, wherever they want, whenever a moment of inspiration hits them. The Android app will go a long way to making this happen and there is also an iOS one in development.

The app works wirelessly because the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit has Bluetooth low energy built in. It’s worth calling out this particular piece of technology because it’s at the heart of an exciting revolution, the Internet of Things, where everyday objects like fridges, furniture and even clothes are increasingly being connected to the internet.

For example, one of our partners created a fun frying pan game with a micro:bit attached, where you have to flip a fake fried egg at exactly the right moment to score a point. It’s not a huge leap to then imagine a frying pan connected to the internet, giving you step-by-step instructions on how to fry the perfect egg or flip the perfect pancake.

It’s precisely these skills we hope children will learn through their �鶹Լ�� micro:bit – using technology to modify and improve the world around them. It might be a simple frying pan hack to make their lives a little easier, or it might be an idea that has business potential, or it might be both.

If your school hasn’t registered yet, there is still time – visit our website for details. The one thing we would ask is for all schools to ensure they’re giving us accurate numbers for pupils in Year 7 or equivalent. We’re making a million �鶹Լ�� micro:bits and we want to ensure every qualifying child gets their hands on one – that is what we feel will give us the greatest chance of inspiring an entire generation.

Sinead Rocks is Head of �鶹Լ�� Learning

Read more about the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit including Next steps for the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit, Teachers and the micro:bit, and Inspiring a Generation – the �鶹Լ�� Micro Bit
Schools can still register for the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit here
Watch the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit Live Lessons via the Make it Digital website
Discover more on the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit website

Connecting the past to inspire a future of learning

2016-01-29T11:48:24+00:00

Richard Leeming introduces a new project which organises and indexes Linked Open Data from public institutions and makes it available to students, academics and teachers. An excellent video primer is available on the Research and Education Space website.

Last week, the �鶹Լ��, together with its partners from Jisc and the British Universities Film & Video Council (BUFVC), spent three days at the BETT Show to meet with education and technology companies and tell them about the Research and Education Space (RES).

RES is an ambitious new project which is aiming to make it easier for teachers, students and academics to discover, access and use the wealth of material held in the public collections of the great cultural institutions, such as broadcasters, museums, libraries, galleries or publishers.

As things turned out, it seems it isn’t just us who are enthused by the possibilities offered by RES.

It’s obvious that in a partnership you need agreement or buy-in from other people if it’s going to succeed. The Research and Education Space is a partnership that depends on persuading quite disparate institutions to work together, from cultural institutions to private companies in the educational market. So an opportunity to meet with the many companies that exhibit at the BETT Show who are developing digital educational products and introduce them to RES, was too good to miss.

A bad outcome would have been a series of blank faces, a lack of understanding, some polite handshakes at the end of each meeting and our follow-up emails going unreturned.

That hasn’t happened. What we got instead was more enthusiasm than we could possibly have hoped for. We met a variety of companies, from those building VLEs to those creating content aligned to curricula. I can’t reveal who said what, but the phrase that was most often used to describe RES was: “This is really exciting”. Just as welcome was feedback from the Product Manager who said integrating RES with their existing product is “not an enormous amount of work”. Another said: “I don’t want my clients going outside the product to find teaching materials”. Everyone realised the potential of RES to deliver relevant, trusted, authentic content direct to teachers and learners where they need it most.

One of the longest and most eye-opening conversations we had, which we hadn’t anticipated, was how RES can support the government’s School Internet Safety agenda. As RES is built on open data and publishes open APIs which maintain provenance, it's easy to ensure that when it's integrated into a third party platform, such as a VLE, it only returns data published by the world’s leading institutions is used, allowing a level of trust by default.

So over the next few months we expect to see several companies building RES into their educational products and we’re expecting that this will begin to enhance education in schools, colleges and universities right across the UK.

It’s a core part of the �鶹Լ��’s remit to 'inform, educate and entertain’. RES is playing a key part in supporting the second of the �鶹Լ��’s public purposes: promoting education and learning

But last week’s success is also a call to action for the galleries, libraries, archives, and museums sector.

The education sector is crying out for your content. People we met didn’t walk into the room just because they were meeting the �鶹Լ��. They came because we and our partners are leading a cross-sector initiative and we’re indexing data from the UK’s leading cultural institutions - The British Museum, British Library, The National Archives, Europeana and Wellcome Trust, as well as the �鶹Լ��, to name just a few.

If you are interested in getting your catalogues published as Linked Open Data as soon as possible, please get in touch via email at: RESFeedback@bbc.co.uk.

Discover more about RES on the Research and Education Space website.
Follow @RES_Project on Twitter

�鶹Լ�� micro:bit at Bett 2016

2016-01-20T09:30:00+00:00

Today education and technology companies and thinkers from across the globe are gathering in London for what many consider to be one of the world's leading education events - the Bett Show.

For those of us involved in the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit initiative, it's an important milestone - a chance for us and our partners to fully show the attending teachers what our now finalised device can do.

We’ve got a great line-up of activities and for those visiting the show, we’re based in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) Village alongside partners Samsung, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Kitronik.

At Bett, Samsung will be unveiling the official �鶹Լ�� micro:bit Android app. We know from our work so far that this is the type of thing that really enables children to let their creativity run wild. With it, you can code and control your �鶹Լ�� micro:bit from a phone or tablet. Or you can use your micro:bit to control your phone - the choice is yours...

We've worked with hundreds of children through the process of developing the micro:bit and so far, we've seen them use these tiny devices to control the music on their mobiles, to create remote controls for selfies and even to make their own video games. Their creativity has been inspiring and a constant source of motivation throughout an initiative that has been as challenging as it is ambitious.

The IET is providing teachers with free �鶹Լ�� micro:bit teaching resources and is working with the National Science Learning Network and the Design and Technology Association to offer teachers free training on how to use the micro:bit in their lessons.

And Kitronik will be demonstrating how other products can be connected to the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit, enabling it to interact with external sensors and devices. This will allow students using the device to learn coding skills in an engaging, practical and fun way maximising the opportunities for them to become inspired by the potential of coding.

We will also be joined by other partners involved in the project including Barclays, Bluetooth SIG, Code Kingdoms, MyMiniFactory and others who’ll be putting the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit through its paces.

And the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit will also appear on a number of partner stands across Bett, including Microsoft, ScienceScope and Tech Will Save Us, so you’ll have an opportunity to see the different partners involved and find out more about the variety of ways you can use the micro:bit in lessons and beyond.

There’s a lot going on and there’s a real sense of excitement building as we get closer to launch. We’re on track to begin delivery of up to 1m free �鶹Լ�� micro:bits for all year 7 pupils across the UK as part of the current term, and we will be in contact with schools to confirm exact dates.

Teachers have already been getting hands-on via the website and a range of events, and they’ll receive their devices just after half-term, ahead of the pupils. There are lots of resources already available at www.microbit.co.uk and many teachers have told us they’re ready to start teaching as soon as the devices arrive.

We’re also sending some additional devices to teachers in the rollout to allow even more children to get creative with the micro:bit. That’s something we’re really excited about, as it means teachers can extend their micro:bit lessons to pupils in years 8 and beyond and that in turn gives the many organisations involved with the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit an even better chance of inspiring an entire generation.

Sinead Rocks is Head of �鶹Լ�� Learning

Read also Next steps for the �鶹Լ�� micro:bit
Also Teachers and the micro:bit
And Inspiring a Generation – the �鶹Լ�� Micro Bit

All round entertainment: Strictly Come Dancing in 360 degrees

2015-10-05T09:00:00+00:00

Christopher Nundy explains why, how and what challenges were involved in Strictly Come Dancing becoming the first �鶹Լ�� TV entertainment show to use immersive technology to create a 360 degree viewing experience.

Take a hugely successful, shiny floor Saturday night �鶹Լ�� show and inject just enough chaos in the spirit of innovation to deliver a new perspective for its audience with a full 360 degree view from the heart of the dance floor.

So how did we introduce the latest capture technology into the magical world of Strictly Come Dancing, in order to deliver a special, one off experience?

From the more traditional camera formats through to wearable technologies, I'm always looking for new and exciting technology we can introduce into our programme making.

When I began looking into Immersive, 360 content, there were rumblings about a substantial purchase of a kickstarter company by a certain social network site and at that point it was clear things were going to get interesting.

There seemed to be an ever growing list of content being made which just wanted to be first out of the gate; where content was filmed in the same way as traditional camera formats with nothing bespoke to best utilise the 360 degree aspect. It also didn’t deliver a repeat viewing experience.

I wanted to produce a piece of content which genuinely tested the parameters of what could be achieved currently with 360 immersive capture and also allow the �鶹Լ�� to test the workflows and requirements to answer the question. Can we produce 360 degree content which delivers to the same high standards of our broadcast output?

WATCH THE OPENING NUMBER FROM STRICTLY IN 360 VIEW

So why Strictly? Other than wanting to aim high and work with an award winning programme, the content lends itself readily to a 360 piece; amazing visuals made up of high energy movement and numerous points of interest throughout.

Working with the digital production studio, Rewind, we met with the Strictly production team early in the series pre-production stage. Director of Choreography, Jason Gilkison saw the potential of the format and in sharing our enthusiasm; he has put together a stunning routine for the professional dancers, giving points of interest in all areas of the dancefloor.

The routine plays to the strengths of 360 whilst always keeping the viewers in the studio and at home as the main focus. A bespoke rig of micro cameras was positioned in such a way to not cause too much of an obstruction to the audience or impede on the dancers performance.

During the pre-production process we had to overcome numerous challenges now generally taken for granted in our traditional recording and delivery format.

How best to position the 360 degree camera rig to capture as much of the action as possible whilst remaining at the optimum distance to allow for perfect multi camera stitching.
Striking a balance between capturing a credible 360 viewing experience whilst not taking anything away from the core viewers watching via the primary broadcast experience on TV.
Delivering the content to a wide as possible audience - with the technology being so new, there are few outlets for delivering the content which is accessible to a mass market without creating bespoke applications for downloads.

While there’s a lot of work still to be undertaken in this area, this project is one of the first trials for the �鶹Լ�� and will form a part for the organisation in its learning and approach to immersive content production, over the coming months.

With high-resolution devices due for launch later this year, there is the potential for future use for this experimental content. The �鶹Լ�� will retain the master source files which would allow us to recreate and deliver to those platforms if necessary.

Nevertheless, I’m extremely proud of our achievement. We have delivered a fantastic piece of content which will appeal to a wide audience as it offers a never seen before view at the heart of the dance floor.

The project is a true example of collaboration, from the knowledge and technical skill of the teams at Rewind, �鶹Լ�� Technology and, of course, the Strictly production team, who understood what we wanted to achieve and worked with us to deliver a potential landmark moment for the series as it becomes the first �鶹Լ�� show to use this technology to this level.

“It really has helped to create one of the most memorable moments in Strictly history," said Jason Gilkison, Director of Choreography, Strictly Come Dancing.

Christopher Nundy is Innovation Manager, Comedy, Entertainment & Events.

Experience the Strictly dance floor in 360 degrees on the Strictly Come Dancing website.

My experience at �鶹Լ�� Digital's Women in Technology Conference 2015

2015-09-29T15:00:00+00:00

Speaker Kate Russell at �鶹Լ�� Digital's Women in Technology Conference 2015

I have been a woman working in technology for over 20 years – frankly, that terrifies the life out of me. However, what is arguably more terrifying is that during that time, and increasingly in recent years, there has been an overall decline of the male/female balance in the field of IT.

Across the UK, females account for 45% of the overall working population. In the IT workforce this proportion is almost halved to just 23%, and has declined from 27% in 2001. In this context, �鶹Լ�� Digital hosting a Women in Technology Conference made for an interesting day.

Held on Friday 25th September at Broadcasting House, just stepping through the doors of this building, bulging with broadcasting history, makes you feel incredibly special – and this day was no different. From the off, being amongst all the delegates – all women! – was a revelation after attending the IT Directors Forum earlier this year where I was only 1 of 10 women out of 147 attendees.

Attendees were encouraged to tweet throughout the day using the hashtag #bbcwit, and this is something that seemed to take off straight away, following an initial introduction by Nicola Crowther who had done an outstanding job in organising everything.

The opening keynote speech from Grace Boswood, COO �鶹Լ�� Digital immediately inspired me. Standing in front of me was that rare thing: a woman, a family woman, who had ‘risen through the ranks’ and had a successful career in technology, heading up what seems to be one of the most rapidly changing divisions of the �鶹Լ��. Brilliant.

Next, a panel discussion hosted by Sangita Myska, addressing many of the issues facing women in the workforce today. A great mix of opinions from Grace Boswood, Kate Russell (�鶹Լ�� journalist), Tunde Ogungbesan (Head of Diversity & Inclusion, �鶹Լ��), Vicky Brock (CEO, Clear Returns) and Julia Whitney (General Manager, �鶹Լ�� UX&D). Some key themes were discussed:

gender bias is widespread and not just with the men, women are subconsciously doing it too;
women’s assertion viewed as “aggression”;
how women are treated in the workplace (top tip: make sure you sit in the right place at the meeting table ladies!);
how a diverse workforce has massive benefits in terms of innovation and inspiration;
positive discrimination is not the answer.

The inner workings of �鶹Լ�� iPlayer featured in the first showcase presentation of the day, presented by Rachel Evans. I don’t identify myself as a hugely technical person now, so this didn’t immediately appeal on paper. However, this presentation was for me, striking for one other reason. Rachel Evans was a living, breathing example of the �鶹Լ�� leading the way in diversity. Rachel Evans is a transgender woman. While that should be completely unremarkable, I still saw it as impressive. Outstanding �鶹Լ��, outstanding.

Later, the �鶹Լ�� Digital teams all gave snapshot introductions to their individual areas of responsibility, not only continuing the fascinating insight into the inner workings of �鶹Լ�� Digital, but also, a real showcase of talent and people who evidently REALLY love their jobs. Overwhelmingly, everyone taking part in the day showed a genuine and touching pride at working for the �鶹Լ��.

�鶹Լ�� Click presenter and journalist Kate Russell (pictured at top) shared her background of attending a girls school without access to technology (not dissimilar to my own) and discussed how she thought much of her drive and interest in technology was down to her brother, an interest which was at odds with her school putting sewing and home economics on the curriculum .

Kate’s experience may have been common, but it was different from mine. London schools in the early/mid 1980s, certainly in underprivileged areas of London, tended not to have access to emerging technology such as personal computers – irrespective of whether they were a girls or boys school. The girls school I attended only got its first computer for learning in 1985, when I moved into the 6th form. And I remember distinctly how we all thought we were incredibly lucky.

Kate’s presentation also included a useful overview on unconscious bias. I definitely encourage any readers visit the understanding prejudice website - a fascinating insight into your own mind.

After personal development workshops in the afternoon , the penultimate sessions of the conference were a number of masterclasses including some insightful workshops into topics such as “Keeping the �鶹Լ�� ‘On Air’” and “Personal Profile & Impact” from TV and radio presenters. All attendees were very positive in their feedback and I certainly enjoyed the sessions I attended.

Dr Sue Black provided the final keynote and for me, the most inspirational talk of the day – rising from a single mother of 3 young children, to one of our generation’s leading female computer scientists, saviour of Bletchley Park and an alumni of Lewisham Southwark College (my home turf).

I really enjoyed my visit to the �鶹Լ�� and appreciated the Women in Technology conference. A truly inspirational day at every level – seeing role models who can inspire a new generation of technologists, getting an insight into the new world of the �鶹Լ��, and getting an introduction to a digital �鶹Լ��. Overall I left reassured that an IT conference doesn’t have to be male dominated. Women in Technology are a force to be reckoned with. Thank you �鶹Լ�� Digital.

Lorna Jones is a Procurement Manager at Wellcome Trust

�鶹Լ�� Women in Technology

2015-09-25T06:00:00+00:00

Today (Friday 25 September) the �鶹Լ�� is hosting a Women in Technology event at Broadcasting House in London. Ahead of the event, we asked a handful of female �鶹Լ�� employees a few questions about their experience of working in the technology sector: What attracted them to the work? How they came to work in technology? What they love most about it? And what advice would they give to young people now who want to work in tech? Here are their responses:

Julia Whitney,
Executive Creative Director, �鶹Լ�� Engineering and General Manager UX&D, �鶹Լ�� Digital

I’ve always liked making things, and I loved that with digital you could make things that responded to you. I did a Graphic Design masters degree in the early 90’s and one of my tutors hired me to practice interaction design at a TV production company that was starting to do educational interactive compact discs and websites.

I enjoy seeing how this industry keeps evolving and expanding. There’s simply no end to the opportunities.

My advice would be, just dig in and start making stuff.

Lucie Benjamin,
Senior Technical Project Manager, �鶹Լ�� Digital

When I started in web development it was really starting to change from static websites to dynamic websites and I found this a really exciting time and could see the potential for a long term career. Technology is always changing and the options available for jobs are always expanding.

When I left school I worked for a company offering technical support for service engineers out in the field. I was exposed to some basic programming and found I had a knack for it. My plan was always to go to university but due to my tech esperience, I changed my mind about which course and decided on a computer science degree. There were so few women on my course, around 10% at that time, that we were really encouraged to do well. When I finished my degree I started working for a company that was essentially a start-up where we really embraced agile practices before it became main stream.

Technology changes all the time – keeping abreast of latest developments means you are always learning and challenging yourself. My advice would be, focus on what inspires/interests you – technology is and can be used in so many walks of life, that’s what makes it so exciting.

Lucie McLean,
Head of Product, Children’s Digital

I’ve always been interested in technology and writing. I got my first computer when I was seven (a ZX81) and wanted to be a journalist from a young age. However after ten years in journalism I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t enabling me to fully explore my interest in the internet and how digital products got made. I wanted to get under the bonnet and get involved in making them.

I was a journalist at the �鶹Լ�� News website for several years and because of my domain knowledge of the website and how it was published, I was offered an attachment as a mobile product manager. Nine years later I’m now the Head of Product for Children's. The �鶹Լ��’s product managers come from a wide range of backgrounds - including journalism, engineering and design - and that helps us bring a wide range of skills and knowledge to our product development.

I love being able to make things that people enjoy and use in their everyday lives. Whenever I see someone on a train or tram using an app that our teams developed, it always makes me smile. I also love how the rate of change in digital technology is always creating new opportunities for us to explore new kinds of content and experiences. It never stops changing and it never gets boring.

The key to a successful career in technology is being open to and excited by change. You never stop learning - and you need to be comfortable with that. Whether you love music, gaming or sport and are good at solving problems or talking to people, I’d also recommend looking for a role that helps you combine your passions with what you’re good at. That’ll help you find a job you'll thrive in on a project or product you’ll be able to make a valuable contribution to.

Rosie Campbell,
Technologist, R&D North Lab & North UX Research Group

I like solving puzzles, and there is no shortage of them in the tech industry. It seemed like a place where I could combine my technical skills with creative problem-solving in a very practical way, and contribute to creating the apps and services that I loved using.

During my BSc in Physics, I started learning web development, fell in love with coding and decided to do an MSc in Computer Science. I started looking for web development jobs at the �鶹Լ�� because I was a fan of �鶹Լ�� iPlayer. That’s where I stumbled on the advert for the Trainee Research Technologist scheme at �鶹Լ�� Research & Development, which seemed the perfect mix of technical problem solving and creative thinking. I was lucky enough to be accepted and the rest is history.

Some people lose themselves in art or music, I lose myself in code. A whole day can fly by and I won’t have noticed because I’m ‘in the zone’. I also appreciate the variety - I get to work on lots of completely different projects with all kinds of people. Something that I enjoy specifically about working in �鶹Լ�� R&D is that we are imagining and creating the technology of the future, which at times feels very sci-fi.

Tech moves so fast that it can sometimes feel overwhelming; there is always something new to learn. But remember you’re not alone - most of us (especially women) suffer from imposter syndrome. The tech industry can be very challenging, but that’s also what makes it fun and exciting. Something that has really helped me is following relevant, knowledgeable people on social media who I can learn from.

Sally Morales,
Senior Technical Project Manager - �鶹Լ�� News Visual Journalism

I started with technology back in 1987 with desktop publishing on an Apple Mac. I worked in print design for the next ten years, by which time the internet had appeared. I moved from constructing page layouts for print into coding web pages. I was doing intranet websites during the day and unpaid, private work during my own time to build up a portfolio of websites I had designed and built myself.

There are so many different and complex technologies that all need to work together and really smart people making that happen. I love the cleverness of it all and that it is constantly changing. And that it is all immensely creative. I love code and how it looks like nothing much but can produce the most amazing things when rendered in the browser.

My advice would be to find an aspect of tech that interests you and spend whatever time you need to learn how to do it well. If you are passionate about it, don't expect it to be a 9 to 5 interest. The best techies I know will have spent many a late night working at it.

Keep up to date with highlights from the �鶹Լ�� Women in Technology event on twitter #bbcwit
Visit iWonder's 'Why are there so few women in computing?' page