Project Kangaroo makes leap to December testing

Project Kangaroo, the online TV joint venture between BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4, is planning to start testing the on-demand media player by the end of the year.

A spokesman for the Kangaroo project confirmed to silicon.com that alpha testing will commence in December with a closed beta trial due to start in the January.

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No firm date has been set for the full launch of the service, however.

The project is making plans to test the technology despite being under scrutiny from the Competition Commission.

The Office of Fair Trading referred the project to the Competition Commission in June due to concerns about its potential to create an excessive concentration of online video content.

The Commission's preliminary findings are due to be made public in the next few weeks.

An ITV spokeswoman told silicon.com that the broadcaster has continued to invest in the project during the Competition Commission investigation.

"We are confident we will get it through the Competition Commission process," she said.

The project lost its CEO, ex-BBC director of future media and technology, Ashley Highfield - who moved to Microsoft - earlier in November.

Kangaroo's lead regulatory advisor, Rod Henwood, is interim CEO.