The Price Is Right

摘要

The tv industry appears poised to launch a fleet of new products that go over-the-top direct to consumers.The new business model will force programmers to ask themselves a crucial question they have never had to answer before: how much will viewers pay to watch our shows? Broadcast networks offer shows free over-the-air with advertisers paying the bills. In cable, operators negotiate a wholesale price and pass the cost along to customers as part of a bundle of channels. Over-the-top creates consumer choice. They can subscribe to what they want, assuming the price is right. "Suddenly the person writing you the check, he is the same as the person who's watching your show. That's a first for the broadcast world," says former CBS News and CNN executive Jon Klein, now CEO of TAPPTV, which sells the Sarah Palin channel over-the-top for $9.95 a month.