Mark Dawson Named Vice President, Programming Services for ICTV ActiveMedia
Group
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- ICTV(R), which provides
ActiveVideo(TM) solutions that infuse TV with the best features of the Web,
announced today that Mark Dawson, a veteran new media executive with
experience across a wide array of platforms and genres, has joined the company
as Vice President, Programming Services of the company's ActiveMedia Group.
Dawson joins the ActiveMedia Group from Gemstar-TV Guide International,
where he served as Director of Cross Platform TV Guidance Product Management,
with responsibility for the successful launch of the My TV Guide suite of
services. With ActiveMedia Group, he is responsible for driving the creation
and launch of ActiveVideo programming by such major brands as HSN, Fox, CNN,
Reuters and others, including original programming.
ActiveVideo significantly expands the opportunities for programmers,
service providers and advertisers to generate new revenues by allowing viewers
to define what they want from TV and share it with others in a fully
interactive environment that combines high quality video, clickable
advertisements and responsive remote control navigation of TV screens. Based
on standard web technologies for authoring and delivery, ActiveVideo increases
the immediacy of TV by creating an absorbing experience that is frequently and
fluidly refreshed. ActiveVideo is currently deployed using existing cable and
IPTV infrastructure and standard remote controls, requiring no new investment
in digital set-top boxes.
"ActiveVideo's ability to combine Web and broadcast video elements enables
programmers and operators to expand the equity of their brands through
innovative programming, navigation and advertising," said Robert Gonsalves,
senior vice president and general manager of the ActiveMedia Group, "Mark
Dawson's creativity and expertise in bringing content to multiple platforms is
uniquely suited to helping our customers and our partners to use ActiveVideo
to develop and deliver channels that maximize the value of the viewer
experience."
"The widespread deployment of interactive services to the television has
been limited by fragmented approaches available to content providers,
advertisers and ultimately the consumers," said Dawson. "ActiveVideo is unique
in its ability to offer a standards-based, end-to-end intuitive experience:
programmers can author content once for every set-top box and Web-connected
device, and viewers can personalize, navigate through and interact with
television content just as they would on the Web."
Prior to Gemstar-TV Guide, Dawson was involved in the launch of new
products for Helio, a joint venture of SK Telecom and Earthlink to deliver
video, music, data and community applications to mobile customers. He also
has worked for companies such as FOX Sports Interactive Media, Microsoft, News
Corporation and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment's FOX Interactive
gaming division.
About ICTV
ICTV(R) delivers ActiveVideo(TM), a dynamic viewing experience that brings
broadband choice and control to the television. ActiveVideo combines
interactive elements and targeted, clickable advertisements with the
high-quality video, immediate responsiveness and remote control navigation of
TV. The ActiveVideo platform requires no new customer premise equipment and
utilizes existing Web and video standards, enabling network operators,
programmers and advertisers to create content once for real-time delivery to
any digital set-top box. ICTV is based in the heart of Silicon Valley, with
offices in Los Angeles, Baltimore, Beijing and the United Kingdom. For more
information, visit http://www.ictv.com.
SOURCE ICTV
Paul Schneider, +1-215-702-9784 (Office), +1-215-817-4384, (mobile),
pspr@att.net, for ICTV
