New player in TV battle

Britain's biggest cable group, Cable and Wireless Communications plc, yesterday unveiled an interactive TV service that throws…

Britain's biggest cable group, Cable and Wireless Communications plc, yesterday unveiled an interactive TV service that throws down the gauntlet to a rival BT and BSkyB joint venture.

CWC is hoping the new "TV Mall" service it is setting up with a batch of partners will allow it to win a share of a market which some analysts say could be worth £7 billion sterling by 2008 for the cable industry alone.

TV Mall will be based on Internet technology and feature high-speed retail, entertainment and information services alongside a 200-channel digital television service CWC plans to launch in the first half of 1999.