Highfield to start at Kangaroo in July

Mark Sweney
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday May 13 2008 16.17 BST

Highfield: leaving the BBC after eight years. Photograph: BBC

Ashley Highfield, the BBC's outgoing director of future media and technology, will join broadband TV service Kangaroo as chief executive on July 1, MediaGuardian.co.uk can reveal.

Highfield, the BBC's most senior technology executive, announced last month that he was leaving the corporation after eight years to oversee the launch of Kangaroo, the internet TV joint venture between BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4.

While Highfield will be confronted with key operational concerns - such as securing video-on-demand rights to foreign programmes, ensuring the technical capability of the platform and deciding who will sell advertising - he will also be responsible for finalising the name of the venture.

It is understood that the name SeeSaw, one of a number of options on a shortlist, had become popular with some executives working on Project Kangaroo.

However, it is thought that it is far from certain that SeeSaw will prevail. One source close to the project said that there had been "a move away" from the name recently, while another said that there would now be more research and consumer testing of a number of brand names. An official announcement expected soon after Highfield joins Kangaroo.

A number of web domain names relating to the name SeeSaw have already been registered by other businesses, such as an Irish furniture company at www.seesaw.co.uk.

"We do not comment on speculation," said a spokeswoman for the joint venture, although she did deny reports that the launch of Kangaroo might be delayed until next year.

She reiterated that the launch was due to take place this calendar year.

Last month, the Office of Fair Trading flagged up potential competition concerns with Kangaroo, calling for submissions from interested parties by May 14.

It will then consider whether it has grounds to refer Kangaroo to the Competition Commission for investigation.

By pooling the resources of the UK's three leading terrestrial broadcasters, Kangaroo poses a potential threat to Virgin Media, which increasingly sells itself as an on-demand operator, and BSkyB, which also offers on-demand through broadband and the Sky+ box.

The BBC Trust has yet to give its approval to Kangaroo, which will need to pass a number of tests including the need to "avoid distorting the market"

The BBC is looking for a replacement for Highfield, with former Microsoft executive Erik Huggers, who joined the corporation in May last year as controller for future media and technology, tipped as the favourite to take over.

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