Los Angeles – Gemstar-TV Guide International said it has combined the operations of two business units, TV Guide On-Screen and TV Guide Interactive, to form the North American TV Guide IPG (Interactive Program Guide) business.
Heading up the new unit will be Tom Carson, formerly TV Guide Onscreen president, who was named president of the combined operations. Carson will oversee the company’s North American IPG businesses, including cable, satellite and consumer electronics.
He reports to Mike McKee, Gemstar-TV Guide’s chief operating officer and president of the worldwide IPG business.
“At this stage in our development, it makes sense to combine our two IPG groups and manage them together,” stated McKee. “One of the goals of this move is to strengthen and bring added depth to our team; and we hope to do this by sharing resources, talents and best practices in product planning, marketing, engineering, sales and operations.”
Previously, TV Guide On-Screen was Gemstar’s CE division in North America, providing and licensing IPGs for televisions and recorders in the United States. TV Guide Interactive provided and licensed IPGs for digital set-top boxes used by North American cable and satellite operators.
Carson joined the company early in 2006. He joined TV Guide from the Thomson, where he had served in a wide-range of executive positions.
