Google delves into the TV archive

Google Video is offering access to archival footage from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation.

In addition to actors, interview subjects include directors, producers, writers and executives, spanning the decades from Carl Reiner to Steven Bochco.

Of the 284 historic interviews to be included in the offering (totalling about 240 viewing hours), 75 interviews are now available through Google's video service.

Terri Clark, executive director of the Television Academy Foundation, said in a statement: "This will be the first time users can watch and search these full, uncut interviews online."

In a continuing battle with Microsoft, Yahoo! and others to stay at the forefront of search technology while television and the internet begin to converge, Google in June launched its web-based video search service.

Last month, Google posted a job listing for a GoogleTV product manager.

Dinesh C Sharma writes for CNET News.com