The BBC is developing a number of products to make the corporation's output more targeted to individuals, announced Tony Hall, Director General of the BBC, at a speech today.

Hall's speech,  'The BBC in the internet era', outlined a number of ideas the BBC were developing to appeal to multi-platform users, but he also used it as an opportunity to make some other announcements about operations within the BBC.

myBBC will build on existing products such as the BBC Weather app, which automatically finds the user's current location to provide localised weather reports, and BBC Playlister, which allows people to create playlists based on songs they have heard around the BBC.

Hall said it was vital for the BBC to improve its online offerings to engage users in the internet age. 

The launch of BBC Studios

After months of rumours, Hall announced the launch of BBC Studios, which will see all BBC production, with the exception of children's, sport and news, move into a separate production arm. Hall hopes that, following approval from the BBC Trust and the renewal of the BBC Charter, BBC Studios would become a wholly owned subsidiary of the corporation, which would allow it to produce shows for other broadcasters.

Appointment of Fran Unsworth to Management Team

Hall said that Fran Unsworth, Director of the BBC's World Service Group, would immediately be joining his Management Team, bringing the World Service to the heart of BBC decision-making.

Roll out of a personalised service

Hall wants the BBC to offer personalised recommendations of BBC content, which will draw on the kind of content similar users have been consuming. This will begin with a personalised iPlayer and BBC homepage account, but will come into its own when a personalised BBC app launches later this year. The app will notify users to traffic alerts, new programme releases and live sport kick off times.

BBC Three will be at the forefront of the corporation's online revolution

Hall said he wants BBC Three to 'thrive' online, which means recruiting new experts to embrace new tools and techniques that will appeal to an audience that is increasingly finding content online, instead of on the box.

Hall said that the online era would prove a challenge for the BBC, and admitted that the corporation lags behind its competition when it came to individual data, though he insists this will be rectified by the roll out of myBBC.

The Director General called on the BBC's supporters to "stand up for it, and speak up for it," while thanking the Commons Select Committee for endorsing the corporation's proposal that people should pay the licence fee, regardless of whether they watch live television or purely on-demand content.

To view Tony Hall's speech in full, click here.

 

By Pippa Shawley

@PippaShawley