Arqiva appoints John Keeling for new VoD service

Arqiva has appointed former UKTV executive John Keeling to head up the programming and marketing for its proposed online TV venture.

As platform controller of the new service, which is due to be launched within the next few months, Keeling will be responsible for overseeing all programming and marketing functions as well as developing the brand and hiring staff.

Between 2001 and 2007, Keeling held the chief operating officer post at UKTV, the joint pay-TV venture from Virgin Media and BBC Worldwide.  He also worked for BSkyB for six years in the 1990s and was involved in the launch of MTV Europe prior to that.

Pierre-Jean Sebert, who has recently been appointed as chief executive of the Arqiva operation, said: “I am delighted to have persuaded John Keeling to join this business.  He has a unique track record in launching and managing multichannel television brands in the UK and understands the British audience as well as anyone in the business.”

In July, Arqiva unveiled plans to launch the new VoD service with free and paid-for content following its acquisition of Project Kangaroo’s technology.

The broadcast transmission company bought Kangaroo’s assets, which comprise of hardware and software technology as well as related intellectual property, when the broadband TV venture between BBC Worldwide, Channel 4 and ITV was blocked for being a threat to the UK broadband TV market.

Arqiva also acquired the rights to the name SeeSaw, but it is not yet known whether the brand will be used for its own service.