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October 21, 2005
Creative Unions are messing up new entertainment models
Saw this article and just had to say something.
Unions seek video iPod residuals
The Writers and Actors Guilds now want a piece of the video iPod pie.
ABC recently did a deal with Apple as part of the video iPod product launch. One of the elements of the launch is the ability to download for a fee($1.99 US) episodes of ABC's "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives"
Paying for a TV show that have either been paid for with advertising revenue or cable TV subscription fees is a simply greedy, stupid and shortsighted business model, but then for the unions to want a piece of the $1.99, get a life.
If the creative unions wanted to really upset the business model, they should insist that the programming be provided for free over the internet. TV programming is already being actively traded over the internet today and even if the studios and production companies don't want to admit it, this so called personal one on one "Piracy" isn't dissipating audiences. The audiences are growing, see this story on Battlestar Galactica and how BitTorrent drove audiences for the launch of BSG on the SciFi Channel.
Final word, instead of the unions whining about getting their share of $1.99, they should go back and negotiate a better deal on the DVD revenue.
Posted by Peter at October 21, 2005 08:20 AM