Susan Gordon, Staff Reporter
Richard Walker (left) and Douglas Shaw, managers of Intransit TV.
HARRIED COMMUTERS on Kingston Metropolitan area buses are about to get a break from a heavy diet of dancehall music.
Intransit TV, formed earlier this month, will officially introduce Jamaica in a few weeks to a First World practice of having a digital out-of-home television network with audio-visual programme content on public transportation. It is targeting buses in particular.
A $70 bus ride on an Executive Bus Service unit will provide passengers with 45 minutes of news and entertainment in the morning, at noon and at peak hours in the evenings every weekday. It will also provide advertisers using the electronic medium with a captive audience to which they can market their products.
"That bulk of Jamaicans who are caught between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. with nothing to do can benefit from this," said manager for Intransit TV, Richard Walker. "We want to give Jamaicans a more enjoyable life."
Manager Douglas Shaw, a partner in the project, said the idea was born out of recognition that there was the need for an innovative and creative way to deliver the advertiser's message. Declining to state the cost of setting up the business, Mr. Walker said the main source of income for the company will be advertising.
REDUCE DAILY STRESS
Mr. Walker said that in addition to informing the populace, it has the potential to reduce the stress of the daily commute. He said the company is working closely with the executive buses owned by the National Transport Co-operative Society Limited, which has 112 buses plying the Kingston, Portmore and Stony Hill routes.
The target is to have 50 buses equipped by June and the remainder of the buses increased incrementally until the entire fleet is covered. The expected size of this market is 135,000 viewers every weekday.
Located at 85 Hagley Park Road, Intransit TV has already equipped four buses.
"At this stage we are outfitting the bus with our own technology, using a wireless communications," explained Mr. Shaw, who underscored that the company will provide and install the apparatus free of cost to the bus operators.
The units are insured and also have a global tracking device with Global Positioning System features to safeguard against theft.
The operators say they are hoping to source a diverse mix of educational and entertainment general-rated programmes, including local news, sports and weather to reach their broad audience.
The company is also open to news content and will provide opportunities for persons who produce programmes and wish to use the medium to test it on the market.
"Bus operators are very excited about it," he said. Intransit TV is offering primarily music videos until its official launch.
BENEFITS
"Intransit TV uses a global positioning system which enables ads to pop up at strategic locations in the city, based on the location of the bus," said Mr. Walker. He said advertisers who pay a premium for this can benefit from this service.
The company has no plans to expand to other parishes in the near future.
