BBC launches Alexa skill for live radio and podcasts
Every BBC radio station and podcast is now accessible through Amazon’s Alexa assistant. So if you have an Echo or Echo dot in your home (or any Alexa-enabled speaker, for that matter), you can now launch Radio 1, 6 Music, or an episode of Desert Island Discs with your voice. The new Alexa “skill” offers granular control too, including “play,” “pause” and “resume.” You can also skip back to the “previous” episode of a podcast at any time.
It’s not the first time the BBC has backed Alexa, however. The news organisation is one of many that support Amazon’s “flash briefing,” a quick rundown of the day’s top stories. The broadcaster has also experimented with an interactive sci-fi drama called The Inspection Chamber, which lets you answer various questions and choices during its 20-minute run-time.
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