• The Associated Press, Wednesday, March 4, 2009 12:15 PM

At a Deutsche Bank media and telecommunications conference on Monday, DirecTV Chief Executive Chase Carey argued that Web content should be an extension of a customer's satellite TV viewing experience, and that he was open to a partnership with content providers that would give subscribers exclusive online access to their shows. He suggested that the rising popularity of online video is something that should not be ignored by cable and satellite providers. "In the past, when a company tries to stop or block something from happening, it's usually failed," Carey said.

As The Associated Press report notes, the list of distributors and content providers considering offering exclusive access to cable TV shows online is growing. DirecTV now joins Comcast, Cox Communications, Cablevision Systems Corp., Time Warner Cable, Time Warner, Inc., NBC Universal, Viacom, Inc. and News Corp. in considering such a partnership.

Cable companies have complained that they pay a monthly fee per subscriber for content that media companies are making available for free over the Internet. They're also concerned they could be left behind if users increasingly watch shows online. Meanwhile, the networks don't want to jeopardize their relationship with the distributors, who provide them with a steady stream of revenue. According to the AP, the talks between the parties currently center around shows that are only available to cable and satellite subscribers.

Read the whole story at The Associated Press »