PBS says that its 4.5-hour Frontline special on the Iraq invasion and
occupation, "Bush's War," which aired on its linear TV network in late
March, is breaking Frontline's records for online viewership, with more
than a million views of its streamed video segments in the first few
days following its broadcast. According to PBS, "Bush's War" is easily
on track to become the most widely viewed film in Frontline's online
archive. "The unprecedented response to this Web site marks a turning
point in Frontline's history, where we truly have become a
multiplatform series," executive producer, David Fanning, said in a
prepared statement. "The primetime television audience is part of a
larger footprint that now includes a sizeable number of online viewers,
as well as those who watch Frontline on-demand, through timeshifting
devices, and on digital cable channels." (Note: in addition, a number of
recent Frontline titles are also available for purchase on iTunes.)
Frontline's online presentation of "Bush's War" includes an interactive,
annotated timeline of the Iraq war and the "war on terror," that features
175 embedded videoclips and links to over 400 interviews Frontline
has conducted with Bush administration insiders, military commanders,
foreign policy experts, world leaders, and journalists. Frontline is a
pioneer in broadband video, having offered full-length programs
online--free and with no commercials--since 2002. Its video archive
currently includes over 70 reports. Beginning with "Bush's War,"
Frontline's video is now available in full-screen mode, using new Flash
technology.
