“NBC Universal is prepared to offer more programing in new media outlets but is not yet assured of the protections against piracy in some venues, the media company’s chairman and chief executive said on Monday,” Michele Gershberg reports for Reuters. “While Internet powerhouses like Yahoo Inc. and Google seek to expand online access to entertainment content, Wright said they did not have enough protections in place for prime television and movie properties.”
“‘We can’t provide them with content unless they can adequately protect it,’ NBC Universal Chairman Bob Wright said. NBC is part of General Electric Co. NBC Universal aims to provide programing wherever it ‘can be seen, heard, used,’ Wright told Reuters. ‘We have to protect it and we need to price it appropriately.’ Wright spoke shortly before NBC announced a deal with No. 1 U.S. satellite television operator DirecTV to offer on-demand access to its top network and cable programs at 99 cents a show. The shows will be available on-demand, commercial free, a few hours after the original broadcasts. He cited protections offered by cable and satellite operators, as well as the newer paid music and video download service offered by Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes.”
Full article here.
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Bob Wright was the head of a small group of geniuses who picked Jay Leno over David Letterman for The Tonight Show and lost NBC’s top late night talent to CBS. In fact, according to various reports, including one from NewsWeek, instead of walking across NBC’s New York headquarters to tell Letterman the bad news, Wright ordered subordinates to fly in from L.A. to tell him. Those two moves speak volumes about Bob Wright.
Wright also launched cable outlet MSNBC with partner Microsoft Corp., presumably to fill the need for some outfit to perpetually occupy the bottom spaces in the Nielsen ratings books. MSNBC: that’s why they invented hash marks.
Based on past performances, we’re not at all convinced of Wright’s ability to make good decisions or deal appropriately with their ramifications, but we hope he gets certain NBC shows available via iTunes sooner than later.
[UPDATE: 4:20pm ET: Revised headline and take after reading the article again. Our bad. Not an excuse, but we’re battling the new server and trying to update at the same time today. We hope to smooth out the server response soon. Thank you.]
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cuz people love to pirate terrible shows like “Joey” and “Will & Grace”
get a clue NBC
’cause my real boss Billy G “sez no way muther…”
Uhhh, couldn’t I just copy the shows using Tivo (or equivalent) and then encode and transfer without DRM? If I wanted to? And not pay a dime to NBC? Just asking.
But I do want “My Name is Earl” on my ipod video soon!!!
Not to mention their partnership with Microshaft in MSNBC.
NBC’s still around? huh.
MDN: “audience,” as in “NBC’s got no ________ anyway.”
Not that i am interested much in US TV (and in TV in general…)
But if the big names in this world prefer to watch TV shows (and movies) dowloaded via P2P and other torrents… feel free not to offer a valid legal alternative… iTunes being of course the only credible one for the time being!
And yes, all encryption will be defeated (and there is no other way around as long as the keys have to travel with the payload!) – but isn’t it better for them to have something instead of nothing ?
magic word: land, as in land of freedom
Hasn’t he heard of video recorders?
These are two very different markets.
iTunes video is primarily going to be used for portable video, whereas on-demand is strictly for TV use.
The difference is that you need a DVD recording system for copying an On-demand feed. With iTunes there is the potential that someone could hack the file and allow for copying of the content. The former is actually easier, but you have to buy the appropriate equipment.
IMO Leno is far better than Dave.
I used to like Dave in the 80’s w/stupid pet tricks and the like, but his humor get’s old, and I think he has a case of ADD.
Leno fits the bill perfectly for me.
Everyone has completely misread this article!!!
He says that Yahoo and Google does NOT provide adequate safeguards.
He says that cable and satelittle operators AND Apple are adequate. Hence, his announcement that he will offer it through DirectTV and implying that he is willing to also provide content via iTunes.
PLEASE REREAD THE ARTICLE.
MDC Headline: NBC Chairman Wright not yet assured of adequate piracy protections for content via iTunes
Article content: “Gershberg reports. ‘He cited protections offered by cable and satellite operators, as well as the newer paid music and video download service offered by Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes.'”
You’re not making much sense here, MDN.
As Alex mentions, I feel the MSNBC relationship has more to do with this than the security issue touted as being the problem.
Looks like I got sucked in. I didn’t read the article, just the MDN shortening of it.
Bloody hell.
I retract my above comment – it probably is security as suggested.
No conspiracy. What’ll I tell the guys camped out at Area 51?
Leno blows. He’s an embarrassment. Can you say “Uber-beige?”
Talk about bland, boring, and totally self-absorbed.
That opening montage for his show where he’s shown onstage at a comedy club making a joke and laughing at himself and preening . . . what a prick. He used to be cool — ironically when he would come on Letterman’s NBC show and do his “What’s my beef?” bit. But he traded his leather jackets for a suit and tie and became Jay “Kiss Everyone’s Ass” Bland-o.
Yah, Letterman’s become by-the-numbers, but I’ll take him over Bland-o.
And I’ll take Conan over either of them anyday!
Sky said:
“Everyone has completely misread this article!!!
He says that Yahoo and Google does NOT provide adequate safeguards.
He says that cable and satelittle operators AND Apple are adequate. Hence, his announcement that he will offer it through DirectTV and implying that he is willing to also provide content via iTunes.
PLEASE REREAD THE ARTICLE.”
Another example that MDN is infantile and wears blinders! I love Apple and my Mac, but MDN’s takes too often like Fox News.
Conan’s an immature coke head. Unfunny, and absolutely irritating.
Jan Hooks — You sound stoned. Probably like you always were when you worked on SNL, eh?
Stick with Leno. You can only watch him stoned because he’s so dull otherwise.
Conan is a comedy writer, not a comic. 12 years of on the job training still haven’t fixed that.
MDN obviously has yet to see the movie The Late Show about Carson, Leno, Letterman, and Wright.
Me I watch The Daily Show on Comedy Central over Leno or Letterman.
NBC only has one show worth downloading, and that’s My Name is Earl. The 95 billion Law & Orders are great shows, but are so ubiquitous on cable that they’re better in re-runs.
Watching these dolts try to protect their content is like watching someone build a barbed wire fence around a latrine.
i like the show with the sea monsters. it’s funny. especially when the baby sea monster ate the little yap yap dog.
Piracy? There’s sending their crap out free thru the air and Chairman Wright is worried about piracy?
NBC’s still around? huh
—
Uhm.. Hello? The Apprentice??
And Leno has been getting better ratings than unfunny Letterman for ages.
Leno’s corny, but he gets better ratings.
Leno might get better ratings, but most people use Windows too. Think about that.
Jon Stewart’s a self-important, self-righteous doob. Holier-than thou fscktard. Conan knows how to make fun of himself — priceless in a world where everyone’s got a chip on their shoulder.
Letterman’s alright, but doesn’t have the fire he had from his velcro suit days.
Leno just sucks.
I can’t WAIT until Conan replaces that shithead Leno in 2008.
Please oh please, it can’t come soon enough.
AAPL at $100 after a few more splits and NO FSCKING LENO!!!!!!!!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NBC owns the Sci Fi channel. They’ve got one or two good shows I would buy on iTunes.
AAPL at $100 after a few more splits and NO FSCKING LENO!!!!!!!!
—
I just remembered: Leno launched Windows 95. *gulp*
Oh yeah, and Sci Fi is lame.
And Jon Stewart rules.
Well, it’s likely the new CBS and NBC deals with Comcast and DirectTV, while including adverts, will undermine the perceived viability of Apple’s ABC deal, because their price is 99cents for shows. No matter how you rationalize it that Apple’s ABC deal is better because it has no adverts, I think there will be a strong demand for cheaper content at the 99 cent price point.
I expect the market’s reaction will be to drive Apple’s price down in the very short run, while this experiment takes place. As soon as the market senses which way the downloadable video market is going, share prices will stabilize, but until then, expect it to be a little bumpy.
Okay, I just noticed NBC’s deal doesn’t have adverts either. I think this definitely undermines Apple’s ABC deal, and the market will react negatively, as it dislikes uncertainty.
MW: “arms”, as this is an “arms” race and Apple needs a few more bullets.
This is not good news for Apples $1.99 per tv show iTunes/iPod deal. Anyone would choose the 99 cent deal and it goes right to their TV.
Bad news for Apple – unless they match the $0.99 per show. The Nbc/CBs deal also means one does not have to put out $400 for an iPod to watch the shows. One just watches on their television.
And the quality of the shows in the NBC thing have to better than Apple´s small format.
I love competition!!!!
Right now Steve is going, “See, I told you it was a dumb idea to get involved with a video iPod!”
There are two problems with the NBC/CBS deal:
1) it requires that you are subscribed to digital cable. In my area, that costs upwards of $60 a month. Then, if you want to download one of those shows, it’s on top of the monthly fee. No thanks.
2) It’s tied to their system – you can only watch it on your TV.
The sweet part of the deal with Apple is that you can buy one without any subscription to anything and then take it with you wherever you go, either on your computer or your iPod.
Here’s a link that talks about it:
http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/08/news/fortune500/nbc_cbs.reut/index.htm
Conan O is the perfect guy to put his late night shows on itunes. I can’t stay up that late and being able to download it to itunes is perfect. Won’t pay .99 for it so they can dream up some way to just put it out there.
Even with adds but FREE.
Only he has the forsite to see this over the other two ol’ dogs. (Leno & Letterman)