Word: network
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...nearly half a century, watching network TV was like eating at a school cafeteria. You chose from the limited options that day, take 'em or leave 'em, and you ate when they were served. If you missed Taco Tuesday, you were out of luck until next time it came around...
Sure, there were VCRs and, more recently, TiVos, but most people built their evening around the prime-time schedule, watching series at their appointed time or waiting for reruns or video. But suddenly, the cafeteria workers who run network TV are loosening their hairnets and offering viewers vending machines and takeout. In October, the Walt Disney Co., the parent company of the ABC network, cut a deal with iTunes to sell episodes of shows such as Lost and Desperate Housewives for $1.99 apiece. A few weeks later CBS and NBC Universal struck deals to sell shows, hours after their airing...
...like any change in a business model, these new distribution formats could create big losers if they're widely embraced. Local affiliate stations are nervous. Since they sell ads on network shows, they worry that viewers will choose to buy shows rather than watch them on-air. To sidestep potential complaints, CBS has decided to sell its shows for now only in markets where it owns the local CBS station. "Some [affiliates] feel that we're wrong and that it may cannibalize the network," says CBS executive vice president Martin Franks. "We're convinced it extends and reinforces the network...
...bolster the shows on-air. "If you're busy on Tuesday night and miss an episode of The Office, here's the easiest way imaginable to catch up," he says. "Actually, by doing that, you become more hooked on the series and will likely watch it more on the network...
...news for Martha Stewart today as NBC canceled her version of The Apprentice ... The network released a statement today saying 'Don't let the French doors painted Dutch blue with cobalt trim hit you on the a__ on the way out.'" --JIMMY KIMMEL...