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TV Search Engine Gains 1 Million Users

TV Genius, the intelligent search engine for UK television, has passed the one million user mark, supported by editorial and premium SMS alerts for its most popular listings...

TV Genius, the intelligent search engine for UK television, has passed the one million user mark, supported by editorial and premium SMS alerts for its most popular listings...

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The milestone came on Tuesday 29 November, 2005, after the TV Genius was chosen as 'Website of the Day' on Steve Wright in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2. Tom Weiss, CEO of the TV Genius, said: “We were on target to attract our one millionth user in mid December but experienced a big increase in traffic after Steve Wright’s kind words about us."

He added: “We're also seeing an amazing take up for our email and SMS reminders, which tell users when their favourite shows are on television. For example, Steve Wright has signed up to be alerted every time Columbo is on TV here in the UK.”

Revenue share model with fan sites and SMS provieders

They started selling premium SMS alerts on 17 November, based on their popular TV listings search service. Combining editorial with TV listings in a form consumable on mobile handsets, the SMS services are available on a revenue share basis in conjunction with fan websites and SMS providers.

The first full service is now live and can be seen at http://www.fanalerts.co.uk, with revenue-share deals in place with leading Michael Jackson and Martin McCutcheon fan clubs.

Editorial & listings combination drives uptake

"By combining television listings for well-known celebrities with news and gossip, we've struck upon a compelling proposition,” says Tom Weiss, co-founder of TV Genius. “People don’t just want to know when their favourite stars are on TV, they also want to know what they're doing. Our SMS service means they can receive all this information in regular, daily, sound bites."

He adds: "This is the first time we’ve used our new editorial team to support our products. We expect this to become a core part of our mobile services, extending our range to include soaps and other popular shows - starting with Eastenders - from the end of 2005."

Celebrities subscription pacakages

The SMS alerts are charged at 50p a message at a maximum cost of £2.50/week, and users can subscribe to receive information about the following celebrities: Charlotte Church, David Beckham, Michael Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Aniston, Jordan, Robbie Williams, Jamie Oliver, Paris Hilton, Eminem, Angelina Jolie, Madonna. TV Genius is currently offering readers their first week’s subscription to the service free of charge.

The TV Genius is available at http://www.tvgenius.co.uk or through the ITV mobile phone portal.

About TV Genius:
TV Genius was developed by Tom Weiss, a vice president of T-Mobile and former developer of scientific instruments and computer games, and Bob Eggington, the former project director responsible for creating BBC News Online. The website has been available since the beginning of June 2005, and the ITV mobile service since 7 September 2005.