TV118 Extends Local Search to the Television

TV118 is a new converged media directory service developed by Central Index (U.K.-based business directory provider) and Miniweb (U.K.-based interactive service provider) that “exposes searchable business directory services to TVs not just PCs.”

TV118 allows TV operators, advertisers, content owners and CE device companies to leverage existing Web assets on to broadcast TV and broadband platforms such as satellite (soon to be available to 9 million Sky subscribers in the U.K.). Central Index provides free business directory listings (premium upgrades available). Miniweb’s “TV Key” service lets local businesses tag their listings already on Web sites or they can develop new listings which are searchable on the TV118 application. The “TV Key” refers to numeric codes that Miniweb sells to its clients.

TV viewers enter in a search term plus a postal code and then receive relevant listings. Miniweb just received US$32 million in new venture funding.

Rick Ducey

Rick Ducey is the managing director for BIA/Kelsey. He is an expert in digital media innovations, competitive strategies, new product development and new business models, including digital ecosystem collaboration strategies. Ducey oversees the firm's consulting, research and advisory services areas. He is also the program director for BIA/Kelsey's Video Local Media advisory service. This program provides coverage and analysis of how online, mobile and broadcast video technologies, competition, shifting consumer demographics and media usage trends are driving changes in the media ecosystem and SMBs and other advertisers can be successful in the new environment. Ducey assists clients with their business planning and revenue models, strategic research, market assessment, and designing and implementing digital strategies. He is also a cofounder of SpectraRep, one of BIA�s companies, which sells a patent-pending IP-based alerting system that he co-invented. Prior to joining BIA in 2000, Ducey was senior vice president of NAB's Research and Information Group. In this position, he was in charge of the association�s new technology assessment, audience and policy research, strategic planning and information systems, including all Internet operations, and he also developed publications and seminars. Before joining NAB in 1983, Ducey was a faculty member in the Department of Telecommunication at Michigan State University where he taught and did research in the areas of emerging telecommunication technologies and strategic market research. He also served on the graduate management faculties of George Mason University and George Washington University in telecommunications management and the University of Maryland, where he taught strategic market management and research methodologies. Ducey was selected as the Spring 2011 Shapiro Fellow at George Washington University where he teaches entrepreneurship in new media. He has published a number of research articles and papers in these areas and serves on editorial boards of leading scholarly journals in the communications field. He has also worked at radio stations WSOQ-AM/WEZG-FM and Upstate Cablevision in North Syracuse, New York. Ducey received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University, M.S. from Syracuse University and B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

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