In conjunction with the Invex Computer trade show in
Brno, the Czech Republic will introduce its first Internet television
broadcast on October 4, 1998.
The project, TV24, is a
joint venture of five Czech companies–Planeta.cz, Stransky Internet and Media, Rencar, Telenor CR and Polas. It will feature IT news and feature
programming.
TV24 starts its non-stop broadcasting in both Czech and English on
October 4, 10:00 GMT, and ends on October 10. There is a strong emphasis on
programming, even though it is a considered an experimental project.
“TV24 is something quite new for us, and the main purpose is not
presentation of technology, but the
content of the broadcasting,” said Antonin Drahovzal of Planeta.cz.
Although Internet radio broadcasts are fairly common in Eastern Europe,
there has yet to be Internet TV. But as the number of faster and more
reliable connections grows, the demand for the
Internet TV has begun to develop.
“TV proved itself as the most popular medium,” said Petr Stransky, founder
and owner of consulting
firm Stransky Internet and Media, one of the companies behind the project
TV24. “The obvious next step is to merge TV and the Internet to create an
information channel for the next millennium.”