Times Online pioneers multimedia giveaway

While weekend newspapers tempt readers with DVD and CD giveaways, their online counterparts are also increasingly augmenting their offerings with video and audio.

Times Online has teamed up with the British Film Institute to offer the 1964 film The Peaches as a movie stream or download from the site.

Peter Bale, the paper’s online editorial director, said the move is “a first in this market”. The 15-minute movie, narrated by Peter Ustinov, was offered as part of the Times’ coverage of the Cannes festival, having been Britain’s entry to the festival in that year.

“We will certainly be looking at offering all sorts of forms of video and downloads as we develop this area of multi-media,” Mr Bale told journalism.co.uk.

Times Online already publishes several podcasts, scoring recent interviews with Snow Patrol and The Kooks for its Sounds music download. More video and audio features are expected in coming weeks.

The Sun’s website now includes movie trailers while Telegraph.co.uk is also continuing its multimedia expansion, this week advertising for a senior production executive to oversee preparation of images, podcasts and vidcasts.