Google is testing a new television programming search service with Dish Network, The Wall Street Journal reported. The article said the service runs on TV set-top boxes using Google’s Android operating system and allows users to search content from Dish as well as web video like YouTube and to personalize a lineup of shows. Users search shows by typing on a keyboard instead of using a remote.
The paper said Google hopes to link the TV search service with its TV ad-brokering business, Google TV Ads. This would allow them to target ads to individual households based on viewing and TV search data. WSJ said the test began last year and is limited to a small number of Google employees and their families.
RBR-TVBR observation: Google is likely approaching this carefully, in light of shuttering last year its Print Ads program and selling its radio ad service to WideOrbit. TiVo just last week unveiled a similar search service, so we’ll see how/if they monetize the option. Let’s face it–there should be a lot of eyeballs viewing such a service, because by the time you surf through a channel program listing for 500 channels, you’ve already missed most of what you wanted to watch.
