HAMILTON, Bermuda – The Bermuda Government’s YouTube channel called 105 Front Street is now one-year-old with about 10,000 video views and Premier Dr. Ewart Brown says he hopes to see the online channel gain in popularity with internet users.
“Internet usage is prevalent in Bermuda and we want to utilize YouTube to interact with Bermuda residents who are on the internet regularly,” said Premier Brown. “Our YouTube page is young and as it ages we hope it will grow in popularity.”
A 2008 Research.bm study revealed 84% of Bermuda’s residents have access to the internet and 81% of Bermuda’s households have broadband internet access – the kind of access that typically makes viewing videos online easily achievable.
Recently, the Cabinet Office sent postcard ads to local households promoting online platforms carrying Government information including Facebook, Gov.bm and YouTube.
The 105 Front Street YouTube page launched August 6, 2008 at: www.youtube.com/105frontstreet
Overwhelmingly, the Club Med implosion on August 25, 2008 is the most viewed video clip on the channel with more than 6,000 views. That video was produced by CITV. The 105 Front Street channel has also shown videos of a Tax Information Exchange Agreement signing, an address by the Premier and clips promoting Bermuda Tourism. The webpage is available to anyone who uses the internet whether in Bermuda or overseas.
Premier Brown said: “The channel provides several advantages because it permits Government leaders to deliver a message to the public unfiltered and also allows the public to see Government programs and activities they would otherwise not see because they happen overseas, sometimes out of the reach of local TV news cameras.”
In 12 months the channel has shown 12 short videos. Nine of them are currently up on the YouTube page.
The Premier’s Facebook page is one source of YouTube traffic. Typically when new videos are uploaded a 105 Front Street web link is posted on the Premier’s Facebook wall. The Premier has more than 2,600 Facebook friends that can communicate with him directly.
