• PC World, Thursday, June 4, 2009 9:32 AM

Verizon Communications wants to give customers of its FiOS TV service a choice of how to buy and view video, while using information about them to sell targeted advertising. So says Joseph Ambeault, Verizon director of product development, as he explains his company's long-term plans.

FiOS TV's subscriber base doubled in 2008 to 1.9 million. The service delivers traditional real-time TV over its fiber network, while video-on-demand and other interactive features are delivered to the TV via the Internet.

Though the service is still evolving, the carrier's ultimate goal is to give consumers a choice on each piece of TV programming they watch: see it with ads, pay for it through a subscription or buy it a la carte. TV will attract advertising dollars through systems that can reach demographic groups with proven interests rather than by asking advertisers to sponsor a given show. Ambeault cites new interactive features: customers can now keep track of their fantasy sports teams and compare results with their friends on the TV.

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