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First 'support group' for snow addicts - First free European skiing and snowboarding Internet TV sho
Added: (Thu Jan 19 2006)
Film company launches first weekly internet show to satisfy skiers' and snowboarders' need for free snow video.
'Snowfix' is the first free weekly video magazine to bring skiing and snowboarding footage, news and weather to viewers via a computer or iPod.
Charles Davison, 25 and Tim Ackroyd, 23, from London, were frustrated with the lack of up-to-date information and video footage tailored to 'snow addicts' like themselves. So they decided to launch their own light-hearted TV-style show aimed at anyone missing the mountains.
Mr Ackroyd said: “We started Negative Gravity Films to make souvenir DVDs for visitors in Val d'Isere and realised we had all the equipment to create a weekly show. We felt it was our duty to provide something regular that anyone could rely on for their 'snow fix'.”
Podcast
New technology - 'podcasting' - offered the perfect solution for getting the show out to the target audience. Podcasts such as Snowfix allow viewers to subscribe to the entire series so that new episodes are automatically downloaded onto their computers. Mr Davison said: “We felt podcasting was ideal because it's available anywhere at any time. Whenever you feel the need for snow, an up-to-date episode will be there waiting for you. Plus, if you've got a video iPod, you can even watch it on the move.”
It's proving to be a huge success. “As each week went by, our audience was growing by the thousands. By the fourth episode, we'd reached 10,000 downloads for that week's show alone”, said Mr Davison. “The numbers keep growing as more people learn about podcasting, and now we're planning ahead for ways to make each episode bigger and better”.
To keep the show as viewer-driven as possible, the show's producers encourage feedback and suggestions from the 'support group', as they sometimes refer to their audience.
Anyone can receive the weekly podcast by downloading it from the website, www.snowfix.tv, or by subscribing in a program such as Apple's iTunes.
Notes for the editor
Date: 18 January, 2005
Article photos: www.negativegravity.co.uk/press
Statistics
Current audience: 10,000+ (per episode, as of 18 January 2005)
Ranking: Top snow-sports podcast by subscribers. From FeedBurner via www.podfeed.net.
Websites:
Show website: www.snowfix.tv
Company website: www.negativegravity.co.uk
Download iTunes: www.apple.com/itunes
Podcasting info: en.wikipedia.org/podcasting
Contact details
Tim Ackroyd: +33 621 459 604; tim@negativegravity.co.uk
Charles Davison: +33 619 647 470; charles@negativegravity.co.uk
Show feedback: +44 208 123 6766; snowfix@negativegravity.co.uk