Google already has TV operations in the form of selling ads for EchoStar, but a new rumor surrounding the internet giant points to even more dramatic plans for TV. TechCrunch is reporting that engineers at Google could be working on an open source Android-like operating system for TV sets that would allow developers to create applications for TVs.

While blogger Erick Schonfeld acknowledged that Google would not confirm or deny the rumor, the company is notorious for its policy of not commenting on products in development.

Schonfeld's interview with Vincent Dureau, the head of Google's TV technology team, yielded few concrete results. But Schonfeld pointed out that Dureau "couches his response with phrases like 'so far' and 'at this stage.'"

According to Schonfeld, Dureau also acknowledged that there is "a lot of potential for turning the TV set-top box into a platform for applications."

If the rumor is true, Schonfeld points out, an Android-like operating system would allow Google to radically change the way TV ads are delivered, something the company is already trying to do with EchoStar.