Google launches Polish version of YouTube

Poland is among the nine countries in which Google decided to launch national YouTube services. The Polish partners of YouTube include Polish State Television (TVP), Bankier.pl and EMI Music Poland. "We began to cooperate with YouTube because we want to build another interactive platform to communicate with our viewers," stated Marcin Bochenek, TVP Board member responsible for technology and development. TVP will also prepare programs exclusively for YouTube. "We hope that our presence on YouTube will translate into popularity of our portal and services," stated Maciej Klepacki, Bankier.pl's marketing director. YouTube's domestic competitors are not going to give in easily with Onet Internet portal launching its own Internet TV called Onet.tv on the same day as the day of the launch of YouTube's Polish version. (Dziennik, Wall Street Journal Supplement, p. 6; Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B2; Puls Biznesu, p. 15) E.B.