Canoe pushes networks to use ExpandTV brand for interactive programming

Canoe Ventures released a set of guidelines for its ExpandTV brand Monday that the cable industry consortium wants cable networks to use to add interactive overlays to programming.

Image: ExpandTV

The consortium--backed by Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA), Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC), Charter Communications (Nasdaq: CHTR), Cox Communications, Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) and Bright House Networks--hopes that consumers will become accustomed to using their remote controls to respond to interactive prompts if each cable network uses a consistent brand and logo to tag their shows. Canoe first touted the guidelines during a recent CTAM conference in New York, but didn't formally release the specs until Monday.

Canoe doesn't expect cable programmers to begin using the ExpandTV logo in interactive overlays until next year. "It is possible that ExpandTV will be on-screen in front of consumers in 2011, but it's most likely to be prevalent in 2012 and beyond," said Canoe spokesman David Grabert.

Canoe describes the release of the guidelines as a key milestone in the deployment of interactive TV. The consortium is pushing cable operators to increase the deployment of EBIF platforms that can support ExpandTV programming, and also boasts that advertisers are supporting its efforts.

For more:
- see the ExpandTV guidelines
- see Canoe news release

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