Project Kangaroo investigation delayed

Could this affect the promise of an early 2009 launch?

11 August 2008 15:48 GMT / By Katie Scott

The Competition Commission is currently investigating Project Kangaroo - the joint video on demand project from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

However it seems that the investigation is now being held up by none other than one of the teams championing it.

On 31 July, the Commission gave interested parties six days to provide more information about the planned service.

However, this deadline has now had to be put back to next year because it has not received relevant details it needed.

Earlier this month, ITV's executive chairman Michael Grade expressed his hopes that the joint project would get the okay from the Commission to launch in the early part of 2009.

Grade said: "The Competition Commission is looking at Kangaroo - we don't know their timeframe but we hope it is resolved and ready to launch in the early part of next year.

This is now looking unlikely.

The Commission is to investigate whether the planned Kangaroo service will cause competition issues in the online video market, as well as its possible impact on online ad rates.