Network affiliates sweat over iTunes TV deal
RBR/TVBR Media Mix writes, "Disney/ABC may be embracing new media with last week's deal to sell video downloads for Apple computer’s new video iPods, but ABC affiliates are upset. They don’t get a financial stake in the downloads of ABC shows and weren’t even given a heads up about the deal." TV Week also relays similar disdain from local stations. My take? Screw the affiliates.
And that's completely hypocritical on my part because I work for such an affiliate, operating channels for NBC and CBS (neither involved in the iTunes agreement). But my stance is also justifiable: my employer's one of those left on the outside looking in, not being able to realize sales revenue from downloads, or perhaps insert their own localized advertisements. Affiliates shouldn't be able to get a cut of the profits generated by downloads (or hopefully in the future, subscriptions) from the iTunes Music Store. That's something solely between the networks - who own the intellectual property to the shows - and Apple. Trying to petition to milk a little more out of an association with a network is outside the scope of an affiliate relationship. And a little desperate.
Apple/ABC intentionally didn't inform the little guy because they knew a leak would have been inevitable, ruining the shock value of a really cool distribution model. I predict this is going to have a tidal wave effect on broadcasting, and I'm hoping more networks list their shows as a means of propagating digital distribution of traditionally televised content. It's bringing time-shifting to network TV programming, sans DVR.
Sure, I'm concerned that the migratory pattern of all mainstream media is to move towards digital platforms, distirbuted over the Internet. I realize this changes and in many aspects limits how I'll be able to serve my audiences going down the road. But I'm also cognizant of the significance of the precedence that'll ultimately be set by Apple's strategy for the future of content delivery; and that despite getting TV programming via ITMS earns a stratospheric rating on my personal Cool-O-Meter, it's not that significant to hurt mainstream broadcasting. At least not yet.
And both are too important to be stymied by petty bitching.
And that's completely hypocritical on my part because I work for such an affiliate, operating channels for NBC and CBS (neither involved in the iTunes agreement). But my stance is also justifiable: my employer's one of those left on the outside looking in, not being able to realize sales revenue from downloads, or perhaps insert their own localized advertisements. Affiliates shouldn't be able to get a cut of the profits generated by downloads (or hopefully in the future, subscriptions) from the iTunes Music Store. That's something solely between the networks - who own the intellectual property to the shows - and Apple. Trying to petition to milk a little more out of an association with a network is outside the scope of an affiliate relationship. And a little desperate.
Apple/ABC intentionally didn't inform the little guy because they knew a leak would have been inevitable, ruining the shock value of a really cool distribution model. I predict this is going to have a tidal wave effect on broadcasting, and I'm hoping more networks list their shows as a means of propagating digital distribution of traditionally televised content. It's bringing time-shifting to network TV programming, sans DVR.
Sure, I'm concerned that the migratory pattern of all mainstream media is to move towards digital platforms, distirbuted over the Internet. I realize this changes and in many aspects limits how I'll be able to serve my audiences going down the road. But I'm also cognizant of the significance of the precedence that'll ultimately be set by Apple's strategy for the future of content delivery; and that despite getting TV programming via ITMS earns a stratospheric rating on my personal Cool-O-Meter, it's not that significant to hurt mainstream broadcasting. At least not yet.
And both are too important to be stymied by petty bitching.
posted by Jason Salas @ 9:48 AM
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