Business

Google ready to launch pilot pay-TV program in Kansas City

Call him Larry the Cable Guy.

Google CEO Larry Page is ready to launch a pilot pay-TV program to rival Time Warner Cable in Kansas City, Mo., The Post has confirmed.

Last week, the Internet giant filed for a video franchise license with the Missouri Public Service Commission, which would enable the search king to deliver content to TVs there, according to public records.

The move, while affecting just a small footprint and serving as an experiment, is potentially huge as it unlocks a new, subscriber-based revenue stream.

The anticipated pay -TV service will also allow Google to increase advertising revenue as well and control the pipeline.

Google is expected to file for a similar license in Kansas City, Kan., a source with knowledge of the company’s plans said yesterday.

Google, when reached for comment yesterday, said no firm plans are set.

A number of reports in the past few months have pointed to Google’s Internet television ambitions, and yesterday, analysts from Bernstein Research outlined their vision of the plan.

Google laid the groundwork for such a service, including a data center in Iowa that has been granted the right to pull down satellite transmissions.

From that data center, Google could store hundreds of channels of on-demand content for customers to access, the analysts said.

Google also has reportedly been working with major media companies for rights to television shows, and of course has poured tremendous resources into its YouTube service, creating a massive pipeline of potential content.

Google is set to compete with other Internet providers in that area with its service that promises 30 times faster Web surfing.

The Kansas City high-speed Internet is expected to launch in its first — still undisclosed — neighborhood by the end of June.