TV Viewers Migrate to Web

News Corp. talks subscription model; paywall unlikely

(NEWSER) - The days of free TV shows on Hulu are likely ending: A News Corp. exec says “it’s time to start getting paid for broadcast content online,” adding that “Hulu concurs with that.” Asked by Broadcasting & Cable what exactly that means, Chase Carey was vague: No timeline, but 2010 is likely; a paywall is not the answer; and a mobile version of the site is a potential moneymaker, as are Hulu-only TV previews. More»

Simultaneous use of Internet and TV up, studies show

(NEWSER) - More Americans are vegging in front of the TV and relaxing online these days, the Chicago Tribune reports. While most Americans use the Internet to keep up with the latest economic news, about 74% of that group also go online to chill out. Meanwhile, the average American is watching a record 141 hours of TV monthly, in an age when TVs outnumber residents in the average home. More»

Both Battleground and Lilyhammer get mixed reviews, as streaming services branch out

(NEWSER) - Online streaming sites Hulu and Netflix both launched original series this week, as both services take baby steps toward competing with regular television, reports Gigaom . A look at each:

• Hulu's Battleground is the more conventional of the two, a 13-episode comedy about a Senate campaign in Wisconsin that started today, with a new 22-minute episode airing each Tuesday. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has solid praise for Battleground, saying it is "a smart, well-written comedy series you might find on a premium cable network." The AP is less kind, however, calling it "a light, watered-down knockoff of The Office," while the New York Daily News comes down somewhere in-between.

Combined figure hits 580K in second quarter

(NEWSER) - Sign of the times: The six biggest satellite and cable TV companies lost a combined 580,000 customers in the second quarter, which Bloomberg calls a record high. Take your pick of reasons: rising prices, increased online competition from the likes of Netflix, a lousy economy, the slump in home sales, etc. It all adds up to a "toxic mix" for pay TV companies, says one analyst. More»

Soon only Dish, Hulu Plus subscribers will have immediate access to shows

(NEWSER) - If you "cut the cord" and canceled cable when Hulu came along, you may have to wait more than a week after new Fox TV shows air to watch them. Starting Aug. 15, Fox will only allow Dish Network or Hulu Plus subscribers to watch its shows online immediately after they're broadcast, the Los Angeles Times reports. Everyone else will have to wait eight days. In New York , Margaret Lyons calls the plan "ridiculous," considering that "in regular, not-Internet life, those with and without the Dish Network can watch Fox programs on DVRs whenever they please, with equal impunity." More»