'Friends' unites with iTV

The new paid-for interactive service, the website's first foray into digital TV, has been designed to run in tandem with its online service, so that users do not need to re-register before accessing details of their old schools and universities.

The company will charge 5p per minute to users that want to browse the service, and £1 per email, should a user want to fire off a message to another individual located on the Friends Reunited database. This paid-for move follows the introduction of a dating service last week, which charges £7.50 per month.

The digital TV service is accessible through the interactive button on the remote control, or by pressing the red button when watching Sky One, Sky News, Sky Sports or Sky Movies.

It places Friends Reunited in the living rooms of seven million households in the UK, which founder Steve Pankhurst believes will lead to an increase in its user base.

"It opens up the door to more members, which potentially means even more of our users will be reunited with their old friends and family," he said.

More than seven out of ten Sky digital users have at some point investigated the platform's interactive features, with dating and games services said to be the most popular.

Sky Interactive MD Ian Shepherd said: "We anticipate Friends Reunited being a big hit with Sky Active users."

Friends Reunited will be located within the 'Email/Messaging' and 'Dating & Horoscopes menus' within Sky Active.

21 October 2003:

"www.friendsreunited.com ":http://www.friendsreunited.com

"www.sky.com ":http://www.sky.com

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