As several readers have pointed out, the latest episodes of Scrubs (which started its final *sniff* season last week) are available on iTunes. But how can that be, Scrubs airs on NBC? Yes, yes - but thanks to the magic of large media conglomerates, Scrubs is not actually an NBC show.

Scrubs is owned/produced by Disney (which owns ABC), via their Touchstone Television division ABC Television division, meaning they are not part of the NBC Universal contract with iTunes. This is why it took so long for Scrubs to appear on iTunes in the first place (fellow Scrubs fans will remember how mad we were at iTunes/ABC over this issue). Now, in this final seventh season, things become a bit more complicated; NBC now shares profits with Scrubs (before they didn't get anything from syndication or DVD sales), as a condition for renewal, and you can watch full episodes on NBC's website (which you could not do before), but this is still an ABC show in terms of iTunes arrangements. It is my understanding that iTunes contracts are with the studios that produce the shows, not the networks that air the shows - which is not always the same thing.

For example, NBC Universal owns/produces the show House, which airs on FOX. Thus, the current season of House in unavailable on iTunes. Conversely, FOX owns/produces My Name is Earl, for NBC, and like Scrubs, current episodes are available on iTunes. Weirdly enough, Ugly Betty, which is now also fully owned by NBC (because the chairman and head of programming for NBC is the owner of Reveille, which produces Ugly Betty and The Office, among others) does have its new episodes on iTunes - only because I assume they signed an agreement with Apple before NBC bought the company.

Of course, if the WGA does indeed strike, not much of this will matter anyway, because none of our new shows will be on TV or iTunes for us to watch. This concludes today's lesson in Television Business in the Digital Age.

Mac Zone has a post concerning ABC's insertion of 30 seconds of network-pimping ads in the Lost season 3 premiere (iTS link) purchased from the iTS. While the first 8 second spot is just a harmless network ID badge, the second spot (at the end of the vid) advertises watching Lost on a full-fledged TV - you know, the thing you're directly avoiding by buying shows digitally through the iTS? Going even one step further, however, is this advertisement to 'watch more video at abc.com.' Somehow methinks this doesn't exactly jive with trying to sell videos through the iTS, which, if you remember, only helps Apple make money off all this by selling an iPod or two.

Mac Zone wonders if this is a hint that networks, or at least ABC, prefer broadcast viewers instead of iTS purchases. For right now, due to the relatively small overall market share the iTS has (digital and real world combined), I wouldn't be surprised. Let's face it: even though the iTS has overtaken Tower Records, a brick and mortar store, it still claims a very thin margin of overall music and video sales. The networks are surely making more money right now via their traditional broadcast + advertising revenue model vs. the pay-to-play digital download method. And since we're pretty sure the 3rd parties, not Apple, prepare their own content for the store (meaning: ABC, not Apple, inserted those ads), I think the bigger question is whether networks like ABC are getting cold feet in the kiddie pool during this budding phase of digital distribution and considering any rash decisions, like pulling their content.

It's promo time! In an attempt to woo new customers ABC is giving away free copies of last season's finales of Lost, Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy [iTunes link]. One million of 'em, in fact. If you've been wanting to try out that shiny new iPod you just bought, here's your no-risk opportunity. Get 'em while they're hot!

Do you remember way back in May when we told you that ABC was experimenting with streaming some of their primetime shows on the web for free (with commercials, of course). It looks like the experiment was a success because according to ABC the streaming shows were viewed 11 million times in 2 months as compared to 6 million iTunes downloads over 9 months.

Does this mean that people are willing to watch commercials if the TV shows are free? Well, duh.

[via iLounge]

Starting today through June 30th, ABC is experimenting with streaming some of their primetime shows on the web, for free. Now, you will have to watch ads (though you do that when you watch these shows on TV, so that isn't a deal breaker for me) and you'll have to watch them on your computer.

The good news for Mac users? ABC is streaming these shows via Flash video, so we can actually watch them on our Macs (as long as you have Flash 8 installed, of course).

Update: I failed to mention that this is USA only.

Thanks, Dave Zatz.

The Washington Post has an interesting article about all the 'free' product placement Apple has apparently received in TV shows and movies in recent years. The article states that Apple doesn't pay for all that publicity, but the company won't discuss how their products end up helping CSIs track down their suspect or how the iPod helps employees of The Office land a punchline.

However, the article goes on to mention that product placement is often "arranged through some kind of barter in which the show provides exposure in exchange for products or services" - doesn't that mean the placement is still being paid for?

Semantics aside, let's hope the Hollywood writers and Apple's tech evangelist don't go too overboard; the producers of NBC's The Office "pride themselves on being real" and seem to understand proper placement: "Indeed, actors on the show's drab workplace set do not use snazzy Apple computers, but rather black, generic desktop PCs." Hooray for the real world.

[via Slashdot]

NBC is seeing great ratings for The Office, and they think that the iTunes Music Store is part of the reason. It is the most downloaded of all NBC material on iTunes, and it is consistently the top downloaded TV show.

ABC is also seeing similar gains with their shows that are available on iTunes. Does this mean that they will both soon open the floodgates and make available much more content on iTunes? I sure hope so, because I want to cancel my cable and watch only iTunes downloaded videos.

[via iLounge]

NBC said there were more shows on the way, however, here comes Geena Davis in Commander in Chief to prove that ABC isn't taking the iTunes Music Store lightly. That's right folks, everyone's favorite drama on ABC about a woman president is now available for download via iTunes.The pricing remains the same, and at the moment there are nine episodes available.Thanks to Jake for sending this in.