Scared Japan stations pull smart TV ad

Japanese broadcasters are refusing to air commercials for Panasonic’s new “smart” television, the manufacturer said on Monday, amid speculation they feel threatened by its combined TV-Internet function.

Japanese broadcasters are refusing to air commercials for Panasonic’s new “smart” television, the manufacturer said on Monday, amid speculation they feel threatened by its combined TV-Internet function.

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Private broadcasters have said they will not show commercials for the product, claiming the split screen simultaneously showing broadcast content and web pages may confuse viewers, according to reports.

“IPTV, or smart television, is a new area of service, and we are in talks to create new rules for broadcasting,” Panasonic said.