Joost to Cut Jobs

Internet TV service Joost is cutting jobs, eliminating customer service, and demoting its CEO.

Joost has not announced the number of layoffs; it employs 100 people in New York, London and the Netherlands.

The firm will move away from its identity as a consumer website due to competition from Hulu, and will concentrate on selling its video platform to media companies. Joost has programming deals with CBS, Viacom and Warner Bros.

Mike Volpi is stepping down as CEO, although he will remain with the firm. Current senior engineering veep Matt Zelesko will take over as CEO.

Joost is an Internet TV service, created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis (founders of Skype and Kazaa). During 2007-8 Joost used peer-to-peer TV technology to distribute content to their Mozilla-based desktop player; in late 2008 this was migrated to use a Flash-based Web player instead.