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Rumor: Xbox Live TV channel pitched to Microsoft by ex-News Corp head
Our laziness, it knows no bounds: We just can't stand changing out game discs from our systems (hooray digital distribution!), not to mention the agonizing chore of pushing the source button on our TV remote to flip back to broadcast programming. And that's why we're especially happy to hear a rumor from Bloomberg today that ex-News Corp president Peter Chernin is engaged in talks with Microsoft to possibly launch an Xbox Live television channel. Allegedly, during an April 12 meeting at Microsoft's Redmond, Wash. offices, Chernin proposed a channel native to the Xbox 360 that would feature "reruns and original shows" for an additional $1 to $2 per month on top of the standard Xbox Live Gold subscription fee. Chernin's publicist, Allan Mayer, says of the deal, "Peter is talking to lots of people about lots of ideas in the digital space," while a representative for Microsoft refused to comment. The report also claims that Chernin pitched the idea to Conan O'Brien's reps, presumably, to land Conan in one of the channel's time slots. Seeing as that supposed deal with Conan fell through, may we humbly propose X3F TV? [Via Edge Online]
Other companies and Apple's iTunes price war
NBC has gotten all the press in their big fight with Apple, but a few other companies are currently considering their options about what to do with iTunes pricing.News Corp is apparently ready to draw a line in the sand. Their COO Peter Chernin says "negotiations will be prickly and dicey and contentious, like all negotiation are and like all negotiations should be." Interesting point of view there. He earlier promised that they wouldn't be pulling content from iTunes like NBC is (or at least says they are-- the content is still there for now, but on the way out soon), but says that they should be the ones determining prices for their products, not Apple. Which is true-- unless Apple believes otherwise. If Apple offers you $1 per song or nothing, Chernin, which one are you going to take?And CBS, on the other hand, is asking everyone to just chill, OK? CEO Les Moonves is the only one that actually sounds like he knows what's going on at the iTunes store: "We look at iTunes as much as a promotional vehicle for our shows as a financial vehicle." That's exactly how everyone should see it-- we can watch these shows for free (with advertising) on television, or pay a nominal fee to watch them later on iTunes.This doesn't help with NBC of course-- they're going to do what they want (including go to Amazon) no matter what CBS says. They are competitors, after all, but whether NBC pulls out or not, the Store isn't going anywhere-- there are lots of content providers still interested in it.[via MacBytes]
