[Peter We]

By Andrew Parker, Telecoms Editor

Published: July 15 2009 03:00 | Last updated: July 15 2009 03:00

Carphone Warehouse's telecommunications business is examining the case for becoming a television operator after buying the UK assets of Tiscali, the Italian telecoms company.

Charles Dunstone, chief executive, said Carphone was studying whether its Talk Talk phone and broadband business should expand Tiscali's TV service.

In an interview with the Financial Times, he also voiced support for David Ross, former Carphone deputy chairman, who resigned after belatedly disclosing he had pledged shares in the company as security against personal loans .

Carphone completed its deal to buy Tiscali's UK assets for £236m last week. These include Tiscali TV, a service that provides customers with Freeview channels and video-on-demand content.

Mr Dunstone, who has turned Talk Talk into the UK's second-largest broadband business, has previously made sceptical noises about becoming a TV provider.

However, Talk Talk was not planning immediately to "switch off" Tiscali TV, which has just 50,000 customers.

Mr Dunstone drew attention to the fact that the BBC had been working on a next-generation Freeview set-top box to supply consumers with video on demand through a fixed-line broadband connection.

Talk Talk was considering participating in the BBC-led project, known as Canvas, and also developing Tiscali TV, Mr Dunstone said.

"We might say Canvas isn't the answer and we will go and reinvigorate Tiscali TV," he said, though no final decisions had been taken. BT, Carphone's main telephone rival, launched a TV service in 2007.

On the subject of his former colleague, Mr Dunstone said the media coverage that followed Mr Ross's resignation from the Carphone board last year had wrongly implied "he'd been caught eating babies".

Regulators had taken no action against Mr Ross, he said.

Mr Ross said last December that he was concentrating on his private business interests.

It would not be appropriate for Mr Ross to return to Carphone's board because "everyone has probably moved on", Mr Dunstone said.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a2a1b1e8-7...44feabdc0.html

[Mayhew132]

I for one would definately move onto "TalkTalk TV" if it was made avaliable, as it would give me nearly the equivelent channels that I actually watch on Sky+ HD with the added benefit of On-Demand content and an additional tuner for 3 way recordings.

If the Tiscali TV services was expanded (whilst retaining Sky1, 2, 3 and other channels such as GOLD) it would be a great contender for BT Vision and Sky.

[michaelalanr]

Well i really do hope that Tiscali TV is continued. The first thing i would like to see is the additional Discovery / Nat Geo and UKTV channels added. A carriage deail with Virgin Media TV for Living / Bravo would be good also...

I have got so used to on demand content, but if the service closes, the only choice would be Virgin. As BT Vision lacks the linear channels and factual programming and SKY 1 \ GOLD is what i mainly watch...

Mike