Google Inc will launch its service to bring the Web to TV screens in the United States this autumn and worldwide next year, says CEO Eric Schmidt. The service, which will allow full Internet browsing via the television, would be free, and Google would work with a variety of program makers and electronics manufacturers to bring it to consumers. Sony said last week it had agreed to have Google TV on its television sets, and Samsung has said it was looking into using the service. The announcement comes less than a week after rival Apple unveiled its latest Apple …

ABC News President David Westin, the longest-reigning network news division chief, with more than 13 tumultuous years on the job, told his staff Monday that he is resigning and will leave by the end of the year. Westin has presided over anchor changes at three of ABC's top news programs over the past year ABC has remained a solid second in the ratings behind NBC News for its evening and morning newscasts, and "Nightline" made a strong transition from charter anchor Ted Koppel. Within the past year, Westin has appointed Diane Sawyer to replace Charles Gibson as anchor of …

We don't know yet for sure if they will get along on the field, but Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco are working well together away from the sport. The two VH1 reality stars are teaming up for The T.Ocho Show, a half-hour weekly talk show on Versus. Owens and Ochocinco will focus mostly on football but expect the unexpected when dealing with the diva wideouts. "There will be topics where Chad and I will get in trouble," Owens told USA Today. "We'll talk about issues that aren't talked about in the mainstream media. It's an …

It sounds like more shock jock posturing, but Howard Stern told his satellite radio listeners on Thursday that he is "pretty sure" he will leave Sirius XM when his five-year, $500 million contract expires at the end of the year. Stern said he's not leaving the radio business, though, "hinting towards a possible mobile application and a low monthly fee," according to a report by Orbitcast, a site that covers the satellite radio industry. The self-proclaimed "King of All Media" also hinted at the option of taking his show to a mobile platform, where users would pay a "low …

With the 2010-2011 TV season set to become the first in history for which more than half of U.S. homes are equipped with high-definition TV sets, HD production has become more norm than novelty. But while most high profile programming is now shot in hi-def, much work still remains to be done before HD TV becomes synonymous with television viewing. This fall, viewers will see a number of important developments in both the quantity and distribution of HD programming, with the amount of HD shows available on demand or online increasing faster than ever. A new HD entrant can be …

Gov. Chris Christie submitted legislation today designed to end the New Jersey's four decades of support for the public television network, NJN, by year's end. The Governor's plan calls for the Treasurer to take inventory of the network's assets and find the best way to complete a sale or transfer. Christie's 2011 budget passed in June cut NJN's direct state aid to $2 million and called for the state's $11 million subsidy (for salaries and buildings) to end Jan. 1, 2011. To meet that goal, the state has started the notification process required by the collective bargaining agreements and …

In the past, Lions Gate, which owns the rights to the "Mad Men" clip, might have requested that any episodes run on YouTube be taken down. But it has decided to leave clips like this up, and in return, YouTube runs ads with the video and splits the revenue with Lions Gate. More than one-third of the 2 billion views of YouTube videos with ads each week are uploaded without the copyright owner's permission but left up by the owner's choice. They are automatically recognized by YouTube, using a system called Content ID that scans videos and compares them to …

TV shows are emerging as a new front in the war over digital media between Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc., amid their ongoing battles over electronic books and online music. Hours after Apple said Wednesday that it would begin renting some shows for 99 cents per episode, Amazon cut its price on a similar set of shows to 99 cents from $2.99. And unlike Apple, which rents the videos, Amazon lets its customers buy the shows. The price war could lead at least some media companies to pull existing episodes sold at $1.99 from Apple, one media executive said. …

Network neutrality fan John Kerry renewed his call for an Open Internet, but also called on parties on both sides of the issue to cool the rhetoric. Responding to the Federal Communications Commission's announcement that it is seeking more comment on its network neutrality rulemaking proposal, which will put off any decision until at least the end of the year, Kerry wants a "constructive process." Kerry said that all "responsible parties" now agree that broadband should fall within the scope of the FCC and that networks should not pick winners and losers. That is progress. The Mass. senator said …

The very first medical marijuana ad airs on a California television network, Fox News affiliate, KTXL in Sacramento. The "CannaCare" cannabis commercial" marks the first time a topic surrounded by so much controversy is broadcast on television. Proposition 19 in California is a ballot measure that could allow cannabis to be legalized for medicinal purposes. It has a slight lead in the polls, but there is high-profile opposition from members of the legislature, notes Gather.The 37-second medical marijuana ad airs the testimonies of marijuana users who praise the medical benefits of its use. Various people explain how …