BBC New Media is getting set to trial its interactive Media Player (iMP) in September this year in the United Kingdom. The BBC has high hopes for iMP, one of its more ambitious projects. It will give U.K. viewers the chance to catch up on TV and radio programs they may have missed for seven days after the initial broadcast, using the Internet to legally download programs to their home computers. The trial will begin in September and last for three months, and will involve about 5,000 people.

This type of functionality is already available to BSkyB consumers who subscribe to its Sky+ offer. While satellite pay-TV has led the way in terms of providing flexibility in viewing programming, the BBC’s announcement is nevertheless a significant one as it aims to offer increased functionality in terms of watching programming through broadband.

Ashley Highfield, BBC Director of new media and technology, commented, “iMP could just be the iTunes for the broadcast industry, enabling our audience to access our TV and radio programs on their terms — anytime, any place, any how. We will see what programs appeal in this new world and how people search, sort, snack and savor our content in the broadband world.”