TV is expected to become an inseparable part of the web for many consumers with broadband connections, despite the reluctance of network TV to cannibalize already shrinking and fractured audiences, writes the E-Commerce Times, pointing to Japan-based Nippon TV's planned launch of an online pay-per-view program later this year as a sign of things to come. The Second Nippon Television Network will offer programs already shown on Nippon's cable TV network. Rival Fuji Television Network has announced plans to put some TV programming online as soon as this month.

The attendant rise of video commercials on the web might make online broadcasts more appealing than ever to content owners, E-Commerce Times writes.

It cites analysts' predictions that "marketers will soon discover that the web offers a more effective venue for targeted advertising programs that can be analyzed for effectiveness as they happen."

Already, search engines have begun to introduce video search, and portals such as AOL moving to leverage their content libraries.

Moreover, with broadband adoption soaring and new technologies for high-speed access being tested, the foundation for online TV is quickly being laid.