Media multi-tasking entered the vernacular when OFCOM published its Communications Market report in August last year. This described how people consume multiple media formats at the same time. For example, we listen to the radio while reading the newspaper and tweet during a TV programme.

Now broadcasters are building products to serve content to feed our appetite for media multi-tasking.

Matthew Postgate, Controller, BBC Research & Development showed the audience at Thinking Digital at the Sage in Newcastle yesterday a video of the BBC’s Companion experiment. Additional content is served to tablet devices via the Internet synchronised with programmes as they are broadcast on schedule.

The technology was first trialled during Autumn Watch last year among 400 viewers. You can read more about the project on the BBC R&D blog.

The challenge now for broadcasters in serving content to multiple screens is figuring out how to add value to the original programme content without significantly increasing production costs.