BBC Radio 1 listeners will be able to send the radio station free picture messages from their mobile phones for the first time on Friday 11th December, as part of its ‘Access All Areas’ week. Listeners in the United Kingdom will be able to send free picture messages to the BBC Radio 1 messaging number (81199), for a chance to see their images featured on the BBC Radio 1 website.
Mobile industry trade body, The Mobile Data Association (MDA), brought together each of the UK’s major mobile network operators to form a partnership with the BBC which aims to get more young people involved with the station. The MDA has also launched an educational website with the long-term aim of helping people to send picture messages: http://www.getsettings.org.
Martin Ballard, Operations Director at the MDA, said: “BBC Radio 1’s Picture Messaging Day should provide a springboard to generate further interest in the medium. Our getsettings website aims to address configuration issues around older handsets in circulation and SIM-only contracts. But the emergence of increasingly sophisticated and affordable devices means users can begin to capitalise on the rich mobile messaging facilities which are now available, as they did with text messaging at the beginning of the decade.
Sounds like there are going to be positive kickbacks for Radio 1 (lots of people trying things out on the day), and also the Mobile Network Operators (again, they are hoping people will continue to use picture messaging) – lets hope the content that people send is appropriate for viewing 🙂
If you want to read more about the Radio 1 picture messaging day then click here.