Liberate has announced the renewal of long-term licensing agreements with UK cable television operators Telewest and ntl.

Under the agreements, Liberate will continue to licence its TV Navigator software that provides software support for interactive content and an interactive program guide.

“We believe Liberate offers one of the best technology platforms to launch our next generation of digital services,” said Howard Watson, Managing Director, networks, technology and IT, Telewest.

“We see that a multi-year commitment to Liberate makes sense for our business. With Liberate’s robust software platform, we are well-positioned to take advantage of the investments we’ve made in the network.”

“We are pleased to renew our commitment to Liberate,” said David Thatcher, Director of Television for ntl. “With Liberate, we are positioned to effectively compete with satellite in multiple services across multiple platforms.”

At the end of April, Liberate Technologies filed under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. The company says it hopes to emerge from bankruptcy within four to six months.

At the National Show of the US cable industry, Liberate recently announced TV Navigator 5, a new version that allows cable operators to deliver OCAP (Open Cable Application Platform) Java applications to currently deployed set-top boxes. The software, based on a draft ‘On Ramp to OCAP’ specification, provides the first Java and OCAP-compatible environment for use on the large existing installed base of legacy Motorola and Scientific Atlanta set-top boxes.