Pop Idol's Fuller in internet TV talks with Google

 

LONDON - Simon Fuller, co-creator of 'Pop Idol' and 'American Idol', is reportedly in discussions with Google about launching an internet TV service aiming to take on the major broadcast networks.

According to reports in The Observer, Fuller, who is the founder of 19 Entertainment and manages The Spice Girls, is in talks with Google about forming an entertainment-based online TV service that a source close to Fuller said would change television "in much the same way iTunes changed the way music is disseminated".

Neither Google nor Fuller have so far commented on the venture, but the search giant has been keen for some time to ramp up its influence in the internet TV market, having debuted its pay-per-view Google Video TV and film service last year.

Google, which also owns YouTube, has been active in building relationships with broadcasters and programme content makers in the last 12 months, including ITN, CBS and Sony BMG, to legitimise copyright issues over online video, film and TV programmes clips.

It has had disagreements with other broadcasters including Viacom, which in March launched legal action seeking $1bn in damages from YouTube. News Corporation and NBC Universal have both pulled their content from YouTube and launched their own internet TV venture Hulu.com.

Fuller, who was also behind the launch of 'American Idol', the spin-off series of ITV's music talent show 'Pop Idol', has so far created a 30-country franchise for the 'Idol' series since it launched in the US in June 2002.

He has been active in creating a similarly themed North American series called 'The Next Great American Band', which began on Fox last month, and follows the 'Idol' format in launching a search for new bands that is open to all genres of music.

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