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Google Fiber adds Fox channels to its lineupNov 13, 2012 (The Kansas City Star - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A day before Google Inc. planned to give an "update" on its service launch in Kansas City, the company added a family of Fox channels to its programming. That addition shrinks significantly the remaining hole in Google Fiber's offerings, leaving HBO and AMC as the notable missing pieces to its channel lineup. Google Fiber's product manager, Larry Yang, wrote in a blog post that the company will offer the popular conservative Fox News Channel and edgy entertainment programming of FX to its fare, along with a number of sports networks. The new channels include BabyTV, Big Ten Network, Fox Business Network, Fox College Sports Atlantic, Fox College Sports Central, Fox College Sports Pacific, Fox Deportes, Fox Movie Channel, Fox News Channel, Fox Soccer, Fox Soccer Plus, FS Kansas City, Fuel TV, FX, HSN2, KPXEDT2-Qubo, KPXEDT3-Ion Life, Nat Geo Mundo, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic Channel, Speed and Utilisima. That followed an earlier signing of channels from Disney Corp. and its critically popular ESPN lineup. Lining up content providers has proved a challenge for Google because it doesn't have the traditional relationships of its competitors in the cable television business. In fact, it's often stood at odds with the entertainment industry. News Corp., the owner of Fox, has in the past referred to Google and other online aggregators as "parasites" for the ways they facilitate pirating of copyrighted content. They took opposite sides over federal anti-piracy legislation earlier this year. But now the two have cut a deal that makes Google Fiber's programming significantly more competitive with Time Warner Cable and AT&T's U-verse services. Google has scheduled an event Tuesday to highlight the start of service to a handful of homes in Kansas City, Kan. That's nearly a year later than it had originally talked of bringing the cutting-edge package of high-definition video and fastest-in-the-country consumer Internet connections. Google has not announced officially that today marks the start of its service. But at least one local organization has said it will be live-streaming coverage of the Google Fiber installation at 1 p.m. Google quietly started service to some homes in late October to test its TV and superspeed Internet hookups. "We're working with a small group of preselected customers," said Google spokeswoman Jenna Wandres. Google has never offered any consumer service like the Internet access and TV subscriptions represented by Google Fiber in Kansas City. To reach Scott Canon, call 816-234-4754 or send email to [email protected]. ___ (c)2012 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |