Despite Google’s ‘Smart TV‘ project entering the world with a wave of headlines due to big-name launch partners such as Sony and Intel, the effort to populate the system with actual TV content could stutter, after networks panicked that Google’s entry into the market could steal their business out from under their feet, and using their own content!

Even with surveys showing that the TV-watching public is ready for the idea of internet based on-demand TV programming, the TV networks still have the understandable stance of reluctancy when it comes to handing over the control of their content to Google. Reports say Google met with major networks ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox recently to try and make deals for their prized content, meetings which proved unsuccessful over the fears that Google could overtake them, and that their success would prove to eat into the profit margins of their established organisations.

The news comes shortly after reports that Cable companies see Google TV as a threat. Google’s model relies on users sharing some personal data so that the Net-powered TV interface can input effective advertisements and recommend other potentially interesting video content. This neatly covers both Google’s Web advertising business and its TV-ad business. But it places a lot of data in Google’s lap, along with a lot of control over what viewers are watching. This is precisely what the traditional networks are afraid of, instead preferring to use traditional ratings and advertising methods, and not signing away any potential control of the future of the industry, with experts relating Google’s attempts to the way that Apple now dominates the digital music scene.

It remains to be seen how this story will pan out, but it will be certain that although Internet TV will probably not establish itself of traditional viewing methods, it is stil a medium with potential for both popularity and financial reasons, and Google will undoubtedly try further to muscle into this fairly new, emerging industry.

Incoming TV searches:

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