BBC Making Live Reporting iPhone App for Staff

The BBC is working on an iOS app for employees with in an effort to aid field reporting.

Smartphones have allowed reporters to record interviews, receive emails on the go and even record important video footage. However, the BBC is working to help its staff realise the full potential of smartphones in the journalism industry; the TV broadcaster is developing an app that will allow staff to broadcast live from anywhere with 3G signal.

The Beeb is currently seeking permission to use Luci’s 'Luci Live' broadcast technology. The broadcaster already uses the Luci Live app in the field, reducing its dependency on Wi-Fi, satellites and codex equipment, but is looking to expand this to cover live broadcasting as well.

Luci Live is currently available for the iPhone, Windows Phone 7, Mac OS X and Windows. However, though the live broadcasting application will initially only be available for iOS users, the BBC has said it’s not “married” to the Apple platform.

"Smart phones and portable devices are a crucial part of that, but we are not wedded to the iPhone by any means, it is just one option,” Martin Turner, head of operations for newsgathering, told Journalism.co.uk. “We are using it at the moment because it offers us the best combination of features, but it is not the only solution."

BBC staff are expected to start using the app in the next month or so.

Related Reading

Journalism.co.uk
Luci