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October 25, 2007

itunes_store

Peacock-a-thon: media companies attempting to walk the walk (updated)

Posted Oct. 25, ’07, 2:32 PM PT by Dan Pourhadi
Category | iTunes » iTunes Store

wmg.jpgHere’s the latest sludge of news to come out of the “Media Companies Are Big Giant Pompous Arrogant Snot-Nosed Greedy Money-Grubbers” department, via the Washington Post: NBC, who recently decided to pull its shows from iTunes because of a wah-wah fest with Apple, is empowering other media bozos — both TV and music — to fight against Apple’s strength in the biz. And Apple’s struggling to keep them in line.

I call them bozos not because of their spat with Apple, but because their spat with Apple revolves around screwing the customer even more than they already do. Variable pricing, stupid packaged content, increased DRM restrictions. In a lot of ways even iTunes isn’t the Ideal when it comes to getting media — if these companies have more power, it can only get worse.

And now Warner Music Group is going all Universal on Apple, considering to not renew its standard long-term iTunes contract and instead adopt the same month-to-month strategy.

The story in the Post doesn’t reveal much we don’t already know about Media Wars: Revenge of the Sith (UPDATE: that’s not entirely true: it does say that Apple and NBC have stopped negotiations, which is a new piece of info), but it does provide in-depth explanation for why a lot of this is happening, and a good analytical look at Apple’s dependence (or non-dependence) on the media industry — mainly TV companies — to maintain sales of iPods.

NBC obviously thinks it’s da bomb (paraphrasing) and that its content is essential to the sales of iPods. But our buddy Adam Engst is clearly a bit smarter than them, and demonstrates that fact in the Post’s story:

“I don’t see video as the driving force behind iPod sales,” Adam C. Engst, publisher of Apple news Web site Tidbits.com, wrote in an e-mail. “Music is why people buy iPods, and that won’t be changing any time soon — you can’t watch TV while jogging or driving.”

Damn straight.

[via MacRumors]


2 Comments

E.T.Cook Author Profile Page said:

“Media Companies Are Big Giant Pompous Arrogant Snot-Nosed Greedy Money-Grubbers”

&

wah-wah fest

The first line was enough to turn me off. Do you think Apple isn't primarily concerned with profits as well? I'm an avid Apple fan and still can't read this garbage. Stop writing like an apologist douche.

October 26, 2007 11:34 PM
Anonymous said:

You seemed to miss an entire paragraph, where I explicitly state I'm not going against the media companies for going against Apple.

"I call them bozos not because of their spat with Apple, but because their spat with Apple revolves around screwing the customer even more than they already do. Variable pricing, stupid packaged content, increased DRM restrictions. In a lot of ways even iTunes isn’t the Ideal when it comes to getting media — if these companies have more power, it can only get worse."

Of course Apple is in it for profit -- but whose interests right now do you think jibe more closely with those of the consumer's?

I'll give you a hint: it's not Big Media

October 27, 2007 12:37 AM

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