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More TV-Web Crossover Mess; Fox Strikes iTunes Deal

News Corporation's Fox Broadcasting unit has struck a deal with Apple to distribute seven premiere episodes from the network's fall lineup on iTunes. To be sure, the cross marketing partnership is aimed at attracting more viewers--particularly 18-34s--to Fox's TV shows in the hope that they'll watch following episodes on TV or download them via iTunes. "Prison Break", "Bones", "American Dad", and "K-Ville" are among the shows premiering for free on the Apple media store.

Walt Disney Co.'s ABC on Monday announced a similar distribution deal through Time Warrner's AOL, a Web portal. NBC, three weeks after pulling its content from Apple's iTunes, announced that it would offer free, ad-supported downloads of its shows one week after they air. NBC also has a joint, ad-supported, content distribution deal with News Corp. called Hulu. CBS Corp.'s plan is to distribute its content to just about anyone who will carry it.

Analog TV has been a lucrative business for the major networks for years, but Web-based media, with smaller audiences and cheaper advertising units, hasn't proved to be a suitable replacement for TV's diminishing returns. The same problem plagues the print newspaper industry, but on a much larger scale.

Read the whole story at Los Angeles Times »

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