Birmingham families are big fans of pushing the red button on their remotes, making the city’s local interactive digital television channel the most popular in the country.
Birmingham’s Looking Local channel, developed by Digital Birmingham and available through interactive digital television (idTV), allows residents to access a range of council and other local services via their remote control.
The city’s channel, launched last year as part of a national programme, has the highest reported usage in the country, with more Birmingham residents accessing council services via their TV than any other place in the UK.
Subscribers to Sky Digital, Virgin Media and Freeview broadband services can access the Looking Local service and use it to find jobs, report problems like graffiti and potholes, renew library books and find out about benefits.
Birmingham City Council deputy leader and chair of the Digital Birmingham partnership Cllr Paul Tilsley said: “The new service will revolutionise the way people deal with the council and provide support for citizens who need it most.”
“More than half of homes have interactive digital TV and Birmingham people are already familiar with services such as ordering films, and pizzas directly from their television sets.
“In particular, citizens who do not own a PC, or have mobility issues, such as the elderly and disabled people, will benefit from this easy-to-use service which can be accessed from the comfort of their armchair, cutting down on the need for difficult trips to the neighbourhood office.”
