Skype’s founders are pursuing a worldwide broadband television capability, code named “The Venice Project.” It is said to provide “near high-definition” quality and will be supported by advertising.  Using peer-to-peer technology, the project aims to serve “tens of millions of users” while addressing content owners’ security concerns.  It is slated to kick off in 2007.

Different from YouTube and video-on-demand services, this effort will offer conventional channels. YouTube and similar video sharing Web sites “are not TV,” according to Skype founder Janus Friis.  (See YouTube blog post 12/18/06 indicating conventional TV companies are getting into the Internet act.) Hoping to reach a global audience, the envisioned content will initially cover drama, documentaries and—of course—music videos.

See Financial Times article.