As part of its continuing professional development programme, the UK’s Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment has launched an internet-based TV channel, CISI TV.

The service allows CISI members to clock up extra hours of training by streaming the popular CPD events from the CISI website to their computers.

Easy access to training is particularly important to CISI members because the Retail Distribution Review – launched in 2006 by UK regulator the Financial Services Authority with the aim of improving the standard and independence of financial advice – stated that after 2012 financial advisors will be obliged to carry out 35 hours of CPD training every year.

CISI TV will feature 60 new webcasts and podcasts a year, categorised into professional interest sectors including: compliance, corporate finance, risk, training and competence, wealth management and IT/operations. Members can view whole presentations or skip to the parts of most interest.

The web-based service will record how many hours of training CISI members have earned while watching the webcasts to their CISI CPD logs. In addition to CPD events, CISI TV will also broadcast interviews, comment and updates from industry experts.

The launch of CISI TV follows the CISI’s recent launch of a CPD app for smartphones and tablet computers such as the iPad earlier this month, allowing CISI members to read training documents on the go, helping them meet their RDR obligations.

These are doubtless exciting developments for advisors concerned about racking up the requisite amount of CPD hours. Of the 35 hours required, 14 can be what the Financial Services Authority calls “unstructured learning”, such as reading professional publications.