Comcast, Cox Buy Interactive TV Company

Associated press as distributed freely via the World-Wide Web on 13 July 2005.

07.13.2005, 11:59 AM

Comcast Corp. and Cox Communications said Wednesday that they acquired a developer of interactive television software called MetaTV through their TV Works joint venture.

The cable companies were both MetaTV investors before the acquisition. The companies did not disclose financial terms of the purchase in a news release.

Comcast is the majority owner of TV Works, also called Double C Technologies, while privately held Cox holds a minority investment. The companies formed the business earlier this year to buy interactive television patents and license agreements from Liberate Technologies.

TV Works hired all of MetaTV's employees, who will continue to be based in Mill Valley, Calif., the companies said. The company will continue to develop interactive applications for digital cable, including programs that can be integrated into products made by GuideWorks, a joint venture between Comcast and Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc.

MetaTV's applications are currently used by several cable operators for information, games, caller ID and customer service features, the companies said. Its software is already included in a Comcast system used in Washington state and Cox's iTV service in Florida.