eMedia Interactive on Friday gave potential advertisers a first look at its iVu tv, dubbed as the region’s first online television network.

The network, scheduled to be launched tomorrow, will feature a mix of current shows, old favourites and original content created by iVu, says eMedia in a press release. According to the company, iVu will “revolutionise the way Jamaicans interact with online video content”.

On Friday advertisers from different industries were introduced to opportunities available with the platform at an information session at Jampro, where they were given a preview of the website.

“This is a unique opportunity for advertisers as we are offering true interactivity,” said eMedia president and CEO Tyrone Wilson. “Viewers will also have the option of selecting which ads to view. If they don’t make a choice in 10 seconds, an ad will be automatically selected.”

Wilson believes that iVu tv is the future of local broadcasting.

“As we can see from international trends, more and more people are watching video content online. The same is true for Jamaica as the Internet penetration level increases. We are excited about the launch (tomorrow). We have some great content on board and we know people are going to love it,” Wilson said.

Wilson said viewers will have access to original content upon iVu’s launch, including Your Style tv, Your Money tv and the Wkndr tv, which are spinoffs of the digital magazines (eZines) also produced by the company. In addition, they will be able to enjoy current shows such as Mission Catwalk, Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall, Ocean Style tv and old favourites like Paul O Beale’s 90s classics, Granny Rule, he added.

eMedia in January raised US$350,000 ($30 million) through a private placement deal with PanCaribbean Financial Services, one of Jamaica’s leading investment companies.

The proceeds of the private placement went towards bolstering the company and building out new products. The company is in touch with a number of private sector companies in order to produce content for them. It is working on producing a documentary on entrepreneurship to be released during Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations, which will put the spotlight on the likes of R Danny Williams and Karl Hendrickson, looking at their journey to the top of corporate Jamaica.

eMedia’s board comprises Wilson; CEO and president of Sagicor Jamaica Richard Byles; Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica CEO Sandra Glasgow; Sagicor Group vice president for marketing, Tanya Miller; National Commercial Bank general manager for marketing, Sheree Martin; and Sagicor Group vice president for Information Technology, Karen Vaz.

The company said it is aiming to list in three years.