Chello in U-turn on interactive TV

摘要

Chellomedia is shifting its focus away from providing interactive television services to third-party customers to prioritise the development of the cable platforms of sister company UPC. Chellomedia Interactive will stop marketing its suite of services, including interactive advertising and enhanced television, to external customers. At present, such clients include Turner Broadcasting, Channel 4 and IDS. The interactive division will be brought into a new umbrella group that will be responsible for the overall strategy and product development of UPC's television, broadband and telephony products. Chellomedia and UPC are both owned by Liberty Global, the international business of John Malone's Liberty Media. UPC wants the interactive division to focus entirely on developing applications and services for the growing number of UPC cable platforms that offer digital television. The interactive division will move from its present London base to the Netherlands, which houses both Liberty Global's European headquarters and the biggest UPC platform. Liberty Global this week reported revenues of US$9 billion (￡4.5 billion) for 2007, a 39-per-cent increase on 2006. Losses from continuing operations increased year-on-year, up to US$423 million from US$334 million.