YouView, the much-delayed Freeview plus Internet service, has acquired the services of Lord Alan Sugar.
Lord Sugar becomes the non-executive chairman of the venture, replacing Kip Meek.
The YouView service, which was due to launch in 2010 is now aiming for a 2012 launch (in time for the Olympics). The project is a joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Arqiva and TalkTalk, and with such a diverse set of partners, some have cited the delays as being partly due to the need to keep all parties satisfied. Lord Sugar’s no-nonsense approach to business, as seen in the BBC’s The Apprentice, may help to keep the parties focussed on an agreed delivery roadmap (but I wouldn’t want to be project managing this task). Lord Sugar also has significant experience in the set-top box market, with Amstrad being a major player in Sky’s set-top boxes over the years.
More on YouView: Youview Overview
