Google TV Set for U.K. Rollout

EDINBURGH: During his MacTaggart lecture at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, Google CEO Eric Schmidt confirmed that the Google TV service will launch in the U.K. within the next six months.

Schmidt said he expects Google TV to launch in Europe early next year, with the U.K. "among the top priorities." He said Google was already engaging with Channel 4 and Channel 5 and would also partner with the U.K. National Film and Television School.

"When we launched Google TV in the U.S. everybody feared we were competing with broadcasters and content creators," Schmidt said to the festival audience. "Our intent was exactly the opposite. We seek to support the content industry by seeking to provide an open platform for the next generation of TV to evolve, just as Android is the next generation for mobile."