BBC launches interactive voice news service in the UK for users with smart speakers according to a recent blog by the corporation. The BBC is reinventing the way it delivers news on voice devices giving listeners who use smart speakers the ability to skip ahead to the stories they have time for and find out more about the stories that grab their attention by saying ‘Give me BBC News’ to an Alexa-enabled device.
BBC Voice News features
- Specialist pieces – Reporting, interviews and features from BBC News’ many specialist reporters and correspondents who add new angles on the day’s emerging stories
- Flexible bulletins – Listeners can get news bulletins at a time and length that suits them – not restricted by the BBC’s schedules, and can explore longer interviews or stories that are forced to make way for breaking news
- The BBC archive – Where relevant, clips and interviews from the BBC’s vast radio archive will supplement current stories, providing invaluable context and voices from the past
Mukul Devichand, executive editor, BBC Voice and AI, says: “Smart speakers give us the chance to reimagine what radio would be like if it were invented today, free from its technical limitations. By making the news interactive on smart speakers, listeners can jump to the stories they need to hear just before rushing out of the house, or, when they have more time, they can delve into a piece and find out more.” He continued, “Delivering the trusted content people expect from the BBC, this new form of audio news comes at an important moment. It will help people navigate through one of the most dramatic news cycles in recent times.”
The BBC is introducing interactive news on voice devices on Amazon Alexa-enabled devices to begin with, and will be looking to introduce it on other platforms in the future.
