Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland councils and Nexus have worked together to launch a regional channels of council services on interactive digital television. Sky, Telewest and NTL viewers can now access council services for the Tyne and Wear region through their TV sets.
This is in addition to contacting the councils in person, through their websites and by the network of on-street information kiosks (known as i+ Points). It means that anyone in the UK with cable or satellite television has access to over 500 screens of council, transport and tourism information.
The Tyne & Wear service (www.opentyneandwear.info) has been set up to see if Digital TV offers a useful platform for council services. It offers citizens real choice about how and when they would like to contact their council. It is co-ordinated by the Tyne and Wear ICT & e-Government Partnership (TWICT) as part of the Government’s National Project for Digital TV, and will run until April next year when its success will be evaluated.
With nearly 40 per cent of households in the region already having access to satellite or cable TV, TWICT is inviting local people to try it for themselves and feedback what they think using the “Your Views” button within the Tyne and Wear service.
The service allows its users to:
- Find out about local services;
- Report problems;
- Request forms;
- Find out about major events in the region;
- Contact their Council or Nexus;
Quelle: Publictechnology.net, 01.10.2004
