iTunes May Offer Pay-TV Service (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Media Daily News ^ | November 3, 2009 | Wayne Friedman

[abb]

With the noise level rising over consumers possibly paying a fee for TV shows online, now comes a report that iTunes is considering an all-you-can eat $30-a-month TV service.

A new subscription service would turn iTunes into a pseudo cable and satellite TV operator -- a company that charges monthly fees for traditional TV/cable networks. The difference is that iTunes service would be sans advertising. Shows would not be distributed via linear networks -- but, as iTunes does now, by program. The story was first reported in AllThingsD.com.

Apple's iTunes Stores is the original digital video Internet service, launching with Disney-ABC television shows back in October 2005 as a fee-based, ad-free service. Right now, it sells subscription season-long passes for some TV shows. Currently, TV shows are priced at $2.99 an episode.

Soon after iTunes' early success, new digital TV/video business believed that ad-supported, free services would rule the day. Only recently, in conjunction with the weakness in the economy and TV/ video advertising, has the pay model been seen as offering greater value.

The report said iTunes executives were having initial talks with TV networks. When Media Daily News contacted Apple, a spokeswoman said: "We don't comment on rumors or speculation." Network executives at NBC Universal, CBS, Fox, and Disney-ABC did not respond to inquiries by press time.

A new pay-TV monthly service from Apple would have a big customer base, drawing from almost 100 million iTunes accounts on file. That could make it an instant competitor with a Hulu.com (which has some 38.5 million unique visitors a month), or the much smaller Comcast's Fancast. Both run premium network and cable TV programs.

Hulu and Fancast are currently free, ad-supported digital sites. There has been speculation that Hulu might consider adding some sort of consumer payment model. Comcast has been pushing its TV Everywhere initiative that would require consumers to be Comcast or other cable system customers before being able to view TV programming online.

[abb]

"By the end of this decade or shortly thereafter, television networks as we know them today will cease to exist. They will be just another url on the world wide web competing against millions of others."

"Network evening newscasts will go dark after the '08 elections and their news divisions disbanded."

Walter Abbott, (b. 1950), Media observer, blogger and commentator

[abb]

ping

[Nervous Tick]

>> paying a fee for TV shows online

What an interesting concept. Sort of like paying the trash hauler to DELIVER garbage and dump it on your doorstep.

[abb]

http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/
Pay walls never may come at some papers

http://www.newslab.org/2009/11/03/is-this-post-illegal/
Is this post illegal?

http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/02/texas-tribune-nonprofit-business-media-journalism.html
The New Front Page

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=116536
IAB Lobbies Against Proposal To Expand FTC’s Power

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/367367-Copps_Maybe_Broadcasters_Deserve_To_Lose_Their_Spectrum.php
Copps: Maybe Broadcasters Deserve To Lose Their Spectrum

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/367362-Viacom_Q3_Ad_Revenue_Falls_4_Decline_Slowing.php
Viacom Q3 Ad Revenue Falls 4%

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2009/11/tribune-co-papers-rewiring-for-experimental-week-without-ap.html
Tribune Co. papers rewiring for experimental week without AP

[webheart]

Except for giving hugh amounts of money to a liberal computer manufacturing company which donates to democrats and has al gore on their board, i think it’s a great idea. The networks through the cable companies would be able to counter some of that by offering ala carte selections of cable channels, but that will never happen.

[Jackson57]

Most of the networks already offer their most popular shows online for free. You have to watch commercials, but only one at the break, as opposed to 3 or 4.

[abb]

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3ib0e5fce5a1ad325c0d51ac31ed6d4041
Comcast Finalizing Deal for NBCU Stake
Company ironing out details with parent General Electric

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091103-711132.html
Belo Swings To 3Q Loss On Write-Downs, Drop In Ads

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/367371-Belo_Revenue_Down_18_.php
Belo Revenue Down 18%

[pgyanke]

I’d buy an Apple TV if they would take a Netflix approach and allow subscription streaming of video content. Paying near DVD prices to download a movie or $2 for a TV show episode... I don’t think so.

Are you listening, Apple?

[pgyanke]

I’d buy an Apple TV if they would take a Netflix approach and allow subscription streaming of video content. Paying near DVD prices to download a movie or $2 for a TV show episode... I don’t think so.

Are you listening, Apple?

[notaliberal]

Maybe the pay czar could intervene. I think they would be making way tooo much money—ripping off consumers-if ya know what I mean1

[mewzilla]

Snort. I won't watch that stuff for free. Why in Heaven's name would I pay for it?

[CurlyDave]

At $30 per month is this is quite interesting.

If I could get Fox News in real time, sports events, and just a few programs I would sign up in a heartbeat. I would even pay for an Apple TV box, which has to be easier than my current Comcast box.

[Obadiah]

Sort of like paying the trash hauler to DELIVER garbage and dump it on your doorstep.

Yep, pretty much.<>The way I see it this would give even more (unnecessary) clout to Apple (AlGore). Plus, you had better have your house wire with Cat6 because I don't see how your going to effortlessly stream HD.

[TomGuy]

iTunes is a convoluted bloatware.

I tried to upgrade to their newest version a few months ago, and it stalled, wouldn’t complete the installation. I couldn’t run the older version because it required that the update be installed.

$30 per month? It would depend on what they offer. If they can compete with cable — sans commercials — it might work. But cable sold us that bill-of-goods years ago — that they would offer programming without commercials.

[CurlyDave]

Snort. I won't watch that stuff for free. Why in Heaven's name would I pay for it?

If the $30 were instead of your current cable fee, not in addition to, the economics would be compelling.

I already pay $70 per month for cable.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the best laugh of the day:

paying a fee for TV shows online

What an interesting concept. Sort of like paying the trash hauler to DELIVER garbage and dump it on your doorstep.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the best laugh of the day:

paying a fee for TV shows online

What an interesting concept. Sort of like paying the trash hauler to DELIVER garbage and dump it on your doorstep.

[mewzilla]

Well, we’ve had it with the NFL, so about the only thing we watch on cable any more is the news. I’d pay a la carte for that, and that’s it. FWIW :)

[abb]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004032657
MediaNews To Launch Partial Pay Walls At Two Newspaper Sites

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/apple_on_eve_of_itv_6fH7p0dRj3vYKyur642WUN
Apple on eve of iTV

http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com/
The Future of Journalism, Part IV

[mewzilla]

I’d love a la carte. I’d have a much cheaper bill....

[Grampa Dave]

“Snort. I won’t watch that stuff for free. Why in Heaven’s name would I pay for it?”

BOL! There you go with reality again.

[rwfromkansas]

30 bucks....No way.

10 or so like Netflix....maybe.

For 30 bucks, it literally be AS GOOD AS CABLE with ALL those channels offered.

I am SURE it won’t be, and thus it would be a huge rip-off.

[mewzilla]

Hey, I used to love watching TV. I'd watch now if there was something I wanted to see. But I don't want to spend the time on a show that could get yanked any minute. That gets moved around to I have so find the time slot. And that's if it's something I want to watch in the first place. I can't abide sleaze. Lowbrow humor. Political correctness. There's nothing on I want to watch anymore. It's all the same dreck. Last thing we watched with any regularity was Primeval on BBC America. Then they up and cancelled it.

To heck with it. I'll read a book. Then I can do my own casting, production, and I'll never have to worry about not knowing how it turns out.

Note to Hollyweird: But since I still love the medium, I'll offer to go through your slush piles. Ping me :)

[ctdonath2]

Problem is having to fiddle around to watch something.

The under-discussed core of the TV model is “pick a channel, let it run”. In couch-potato mode, nobody wants to fiddle around with websites and browsers and deciding what to watch; we want someone else to feed us an interesting stream of stuff.

Also, the TV model allows easy access to live events which are interesting because they are happening _right_now_, but lose much of their attraction when one has to find & play a copy later. Sports, breaking news, awards shows, etc. are just not supported live on websites.

I want 5-10 ‘net-delivered channels, much like cable/broadcast/satellite TV but without the lock-in, that I can go to with ease any time depending on mood and which give a constant stream of content with minimal effort.

Apple TV _with_ TV. Bring it.

“Here we are now, entertain us.”
- Nirvana

[Kakaze]

Hmm I thought it was called net flicks and I have it for 15 dollars a month.

[Grampa Dave]

Remember how CBS tried to kill Jag by changing the time and day they showed it.

Finally, someone with some sense at CBS said stop it.

They haven’t done that with NCIS, and it is now the #1 show with zillions of reruns everyday on about every channel.

[mewzilla]

I used to watch NCIS. Haven’t lately. Heard they were getting rid of Ziva.

[Grampa Dave]

She is back. Her leaving was part of a big and long plot.

[mewzilla]

Ummmm, I think she's leaving again.

But that brings me to another big peeve: Have you noticed on that show that the female agents are always replaced with another female agent? And the head of the agency always seems to be a female or a minority? Not that I haven't loved the casting, it's been excellent. But it bugs me to think they're casting for a demographic and not for a good quality show. Personally, I don't care about gender or ethnicity. All I want are good actors.

[Obadiah]

But cable sold us that bill-of-goods years ago — that they would offer programming without commercials.

Funny, you're old enough to remember that ruse too, huh?

[abb]

http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2009/10/30/03
Take For Granted

[LearnsFromMistakes]

ping

[norraad]

Cable, et. al suck uber bigtime, can't fathom why anyone send them a dime.

I enjoy netflix, dvd's delivered fast and furious, streaming goodies by the score, I love the selection of old movies and seeing them on a good computer screen is fun.

Plus many lesson dvd's, the best!

[Landru]

>>paying a fee for TV shows online
"What an interesting concept. Sort of like paying the trash hauler to DELIVER garbage and dump it on your doorstep."

Yea!
Sorta just like that. LOL

[Landru]

Now this is the one that caught my eye, this AM: "Tribune Co. papers rewiring for experimental week without AP""

Some 'experiment', huh. LOL
*Someone* knows *something*.
Wonder if we the peons will ever hear the result(s) of said 'experiment'? ;^)

[SaveTheChief]

The difference between Netflix, which I enjoy very much, and Apple’s proposed subscription service, is that with the proposed service you would be able to watch current season programming. I don’t believe Netflix offers that. If I am wrong, please tell me how.

[abb]

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/wall-street-journal-to-hire-about-a-dozen-reporters-to-cover-local-news-in-new-york/
Wall Street Journal to Hire About a Dozen Reporters to Cover Local News in New York

http://www.iwantmedia.com/people/people83.html
Ken Auletta: Google Is Not Trying to Harm Old Media

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&aid=172856
Tribune: “We don’t expect the ESOP to continue once the company emerges from bankruptcy”

[abb]

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=131&aid=172739
Four Things People Miss about Newspapers and What Can Be Done About it

[TangoLimaSierra]

...as opposed to 3 or 4.

More like 8 or 9.

[Landru]

re: Tribune ESOP move.
"The ESOP — When Tribune became a private company, one of our primary goals was to create a culture that would enable employees to share in the company's long-term success. That was a major reason for creating the ESOP. While we do not expect the ESOP to continue once the company emerges from bankruptcy, we still strongly believe that employees should share in the company’s long-term success."

~huh
Wonder how many Trib employees will fall for that.
That is, those still left. LOL

re: Wall Street Journal.

"The Wall Street Journal plans to hire a small local news staff in New York, covering traditional city desk beats like courthouses, City Hall and the state capital, according to people briefed on the plans...It also reflects Rupert Murdoch’s mandate to make The Journal more of a general-interest newspaper, and a more direct competitor to The New York Times."

Good.
Would also have the added benefit of axing The Associated Quisling pap, eh?
Kind of a "Trial Balloon, if you please?

This idea of Murdoch's has the potential of being an excellent & profitable business plan. In short, an answer.
And if it is successful?
AP had better give their souls to whatever it is they worship and I ain't talking about a deity, either.
Because there's an aged old saying, something about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery? ;^)
Consider: The AQ charges a fortune for their junk since they're practically a monopoly. Combine that condition with the grumblings reported a few months back? Remember? From AP subscribers who thought AP was charging too much during their "hard times"?

Makes dumping the AP feasible *&* quite attractive by all who already feel ripped off, as they helplessly watch their businesses tank with the passing of each & every day.
Some might even have an epiphany, figured out *why* and who's really at fault?

Fun stuff. LOL
Nice nuggets my friend, real nice indeed. :^)

[pgyanke]

I understand. It’s more of a price issue for me.

[Swordmaker]

More crystalball gazing about Apple's future plans... this time about TV and iTunes PING!

Apple prognostication Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[TheStickman]

Why pay for what can be had for free & legal? Watching a show with minimal commercials a couple days after it originally airs is just as good to us.

[antiRepublicrat]

Network evening newscasts effectively died when the news departments started being expected to pull a profit instead of being a public service. Somebody just forgot to pull the plug, so it’s been in a coma for decades.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Note to Hollyweird: But since I still love the medium, I'll offer to go through your slush piles. Ping me :)

Dear Mr/Ms Mewzilla (What is a Mewzilla, some sort of cat lizard?),

We appreciate your kind offer and would like to take you up on ti. Please go to http://www.dropdeadend.hollywood and take what you want.

With warm affection'

Hollywood