ABC affiliates not happy with iPod deal

I don't subscribe cable at home and don't bother watch anything on TV. But... if ABC will add subtitle for download tv show, I am sold!

Here in the UK I am watching series one of Lost. Now I could record using eyeTV and edit out the commericals or fast forward through them, but I don't, I watch it when it is broadcast as I can't wait to see it.

Don't they have enough product-placements already???

I have a TiVo so I skip those ads anyway...

I watch a fair amount of TV, something like a hour or so a day. What I don't understand is why people actually watch the ads. I always watch TV with my 'book next to me, so that when it is a commercial I just mute it. If I don't have my computer I'll still mute it. Whenever there are commercials I mute it, period. I think it's ridiculous that people voluntarily subject themselves to that kind of propaganda. I would gladly buy shows off the iTMS instead of watching them on TV just to get away from the commercials. So what if the networks loose some ad deals? They get direct profit from iTMS downloads. There aren't ads on DVDs, and you don't hear the ad corporations complaining.

# 5 is right. Every time the old broadcast model is threatened, 'they' scream foul. Remember VCRs? They're really just not comfortable with change. Which they really had better get used to or didn't it occur to them that (excuse clich驠'technology is ummm, moving rapidly'...

I think that most people who watch the hit shows enough to buy them are also going to want to see them the second they are available (the night they show on tv), and will buy the episode the next day or at the end of the season if they want to watch it again. I don't think people will stop watching the episodes because of the downloads.

They are just upset their old business model may not translate going into the future. Well, too bad, I say. Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Cry me a river. The actors/crew/whatever have somewhat of a point with their complaint, since I think they deserve to be paid if ABC's going to charge for the content, but not the affiliates. CT is right. I'm sure this won't impact their numbers one bit. It's going to be mostly a curiosity/occasional thing for most people who buy their episodes of Lost from iTunes. I'm sure it's fine to watch once a while, but I can't see anybody seriously skipping it on TV every week just to download the video for their iPod.

The notion that a significant amout of viewers (enough to make any measurable dent in ad revenues) are going to buy enough video iPods and/or watch their TV on their Macs/PCs is ridiculous. I LOVE, however, that Apple can turn a bunch of Hollywood and Broadcast ne'r-do-wells (aka, content mafia) into stammering, clammering scaredy cats.