LG plans to launch Internet-enabled TV based on Google’s platform in the United States in the week of May 21, as the South Korean firm seeks to gain a larger share of the emerging Internet TV market, a senior LG executive said on Monday.

The move reflects an aggressive push by the duo to defend against a potential threat from Apple Inc, which reshaped the handset market with its iPhone smartphone and is widely expected to unveil a full-fledged TV product later this year or early next year.

“Production of Google TVs will start from May 17 from our factory in Mexico and U.S. consumers will be able to buy the product from the week of May 21,” Ro Seogho, executive vice president of LG’s TV business unit, told a small group of reporters.

Google TV allows viewers to access Google services such as searches and YouTube videos on their television screens.

Celebro Media Networks joined the BBC last night in celebrating the first broadcast of live television output from its new Broadcasting House. BBC Russian’s 10-minute news programme was broadcast live from the new state-of-the-art studio space in the BBC’s new Central London home to Russia’s 24-hour IPTV channel Dozhd TV in Moscow – in the first live news transmission produced and broadcast as an IPTV operation.

A team from Celebro Media Networks developed and piloted the programme’s format, training editorial teams in the live gallery output and TV workflows. Our lead IPTV Consultant Wesley Dodd was in the gallery for the launch. He said: “All the team worked so hard to bring us to this pioneering moment. It felt like a milestone in the history of broadcasting as we produced and delivered the live news bulletin as an IPTV operation from the BBC’s new Broadcasting House for the first time.”

TV Connect Global Events and TV Over.Net are teaming up for the Social TV World Summit on 22nd-23rd May in London. We will be giving away 1 free ticket in a raffle competition. For your chance to win, enter by emailing stpehen.scott@informa.com with your name, job title, company, email and phone number by 5pm 16th May 2012. The winner will be randomly drawn.

The impressive speaker line-up at the Social TV World Summit has been handpicked from the leaders of social TV strategies. Karla Geci, Head of Platform Partnerships, EMEA from Facebook will open the conference with her Keynote Case Study on Facebook Driving Social TV Engagement.

The event will also be packed with 50+ speakers, click below to see a list.

According to leading broadband analyst firm Point Topic, global IPTV subscriptions closed in on 60 million at the end of 2011, with the last yearly quarter witnessing the biggest three month increase in subscribers yet.

“The year end is often the strong quarter but in combination with the global recovery in consumer spending and the will and technical ability to deliver a service, IPTV is really starting to find the sweet spot,” comments Oliver Johnson, CEO of Point Topic.

“In addition we’ve seen a growth in the Average Revenue per User the operators have managed to generate.”

These figures are taken from Point Topic’s Internet Video and Voice service, which provides a comprehensive view of the global internet video and voice markets.

FilmOn.TV has signed a deal with Content Media for The Paranormal Channel. FilmOn.TV streams 150 linear HD channels as well as 10,000 video on demand titles and The Paranormal Channel is completely unique to FilmOn.TV; you can't find it anywhere else on the internet. It will be FilmOn.TV's first 24/7 paranormal channel featuring everything from aliens, Bigfoot, and hauntings to controversial ghost stories, unexplained mysteries, Roswell and unlocking the Di Vinci code.

The deal was recently signed between CEO and founder of FilmOn.TV, Alki David and Content Media's Mark Benmore. "The Paranormal Channel is unique to FilmOn.TV because it touches an area that is based on reality and horror," said David. "The paranormal has always interested our viewers. We see this from the success of our horror and sci-fi channels. The Paranormal Channel really complements this line up of content because their shows are just what our viewers are looking for."