Thursday, April 2, 2009
Disney CEO Bob Iger at the Cable Show: “You Can’t Slow the Pace of Technology”
At one point this month, there had been speculation that Disney CEO Bob Iger would use his speech at the cable industry’s annual convention to announce a deal with Hulu. Instead, Iger used the forum to try to placate his cable partners, who generate an enormous revenue stream for his company, while explaining that he was going to move full-steam ahead when it comes to putting his stuff online for free.
A deal to bring Disney’s TV shows and movies to Hulu has supposedly been imminent for weeks. But people familiar with the negotiations between Disney and the video site insist that discussions are now very, very advanced and that a deal could be struck any day. At this point, I’m told, Disney and Hulu, the joint venture between GE’s NBC and News Corp.’s Fox, are haggling over the finer points in the tie-up: Details like which Disney shows and channels will be included in the pact and how many seats Disney will get on the joint venture’s board. And opponents of the deal are plotting their next moves.
CNBC’s owner wants you to know that it wasn’t his network’s fault that the Dow collapsed. “Just because someone who mocks authority says something doesn’t make it so.” Also, he’d like you to know that his broadcast and cable giant isn’t going to screw up like the newspaper guys did.
Both Comcast and Timer Warner Cable want to give their subscribers Web access to more shows than they can currently get–at least legally. But the two companies have competing plans, based on different technologies and philosophies.
