The UK government's NHS Direct Interactive TV health information service has launched on digital terrestrial platform Freeview, extending its reach to 14.8 million households.
NHS Direct Interactive, powered by interactive media specialist YooMedia, was previously only available to the 8.4 million households signed up to the Sky Digital satellite platform.
Its extension on to Freeview adds a further 6.4 million homes, a move that Sky is initially assisting with. NHS Direct Interactive has yet to launch on digital cable platform NTL/Telewest, which is poised to rebrand as Virgin TV in the new year.
The health information service was one among a number of lucrative government iTV projects put out to tender in 2001 and is being funded to the tune of £5m (US$9.6m) per year. After a series of delays it finally went live in December 2004.
YooMedia picked up the contract to run the service through the acquisition of the original production partner MMTV months ahead of the launch. Earlier this year the government extended its agreement with YooMedia through to April 2007, with further options until 2008.
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