How will the decision of serveral tv networks to allow downloads of their shows impact the broadcasting ind.?

It could be bad for some shows and good for others. Some shows were/are popular just because they were the best of the worst on.

Sometimes just a time slot change can make the difference. Tivo and like devices have made time shift viewing a fact of life, download-able content just furthers that concept a little more.

I give you an example, say a guy has ideological differences with certain broadcasters in a cable or sat line up. When he signs up for cable there is no pick and choose for programming, even though this is supposed to be coming. So he has to pay for the channels he has difference with or that will not watch. But with downloadable content he can legally obtain just the shows he wants to watch, talk about the consumer giving feedback right away. Some ratings are based on sales after the fact, some shows are bought for a critical plot line. If a show starts slow and downloads pick up for the first few episodes after the fact, a show can stave off cancellation. Never before has a audience had the power to affect programming so quickly.

I subscribe to a pay TV service and I can tell you even though I have Lifetime in my line up, it has never been on in my house, ever.

So when a broadcaster can bypass the cable or Sat system, where these can have there own agenda as more and more media becomes a conglomeration, it is a good thing for values like free speech, and personal choice. For Cable, Sat, and the like to survive the will need to allow for more choices that don't cost more, but offer tailored services to each person. And with current technology it is not necessary to not have that kind of choice.

The first link is to an article about legal download and how when given more choice, consumers will come in droves. It told the record label to concentrate on better content, as one or two good songs on an album will not cut it anymore.

The second link is to the rise in downloads of TV shows. And how this should make not the broadcasters worry because the consumer wants the content, but the pay TV systems to take heed.

This is actually part of the Writers Guild Association's debate. Whenever you buy on iTunes or watch the advertisements as you watch on the network's website the writers of the shows don't get any residuals. Of course this carries over from the past when writers got ripped off on residuals from VCR/DVD sales of TV shows, which they still do get hardly anything from these sales. (Once upon a time we couldn't imagine people wanting to buy tv show seasons.)

So unless the broadcasters decide to give residuals to writers for the downloads they offer online, the writers will go on strike either on Halloween or in the next six months.

Ok, I know it says no opinions, but you can't really answer this type of question without giving an opinion. I can give you one example of something that happened, though. There was this show called "Drive" which came on during the summer on FOX, there wasn't enough viewers who watched it, so it got cancelled. The viewers who did watch it, got mad, and so FOX kept planning for the last of the episodes (there were 8 episodes which were made, and only 4 got shown, the other 4 didn't get shown) to be shown on TV. After putting it off for 2 weeks, FOX finally decided to show it online. Now the fans who wanted to see the episodes finally could. This is one example where downloads of a certain TV show made people happy. I think if this continues in the future, it would allow many TV shows that get cancelled early to be shown online, and then it would develop a new following to be shown again on TV. Also when people miss a show, they watch it on TV, so it would be convenient for them.

Eventually, TV networks would become obsolete, and people won't be watching broadcasts on TV anymore, they'll all br watching their favorite shows online.

I've wondered about the same thing. I watch most of my favorite shows on the computer now because I rarely seem to make them when they actually come on. I got worried that I wasn't supporting my favorite show's ratings....... But does watching it online give it credit (ratings-wise)?? I don't know... If watching shows online or downloading them doesn't give the show credit then it would definitely effect them negatively... But I'm sure that downloading them gives them some sort of credit. I'm curious as to how sites like abc.com give the show credit for people who use their free media player... I suppose they just track how many times they are watched.

In that case, it wouldn't affect the broadcasting industry... I don't think. But I'm not an expert!

The fact is, even the networks aren't sure yet. It's a major point of contention in the contract negotiations they're having with the Writer's Guild at the moment, and may possibly lead to a major Hollywood strike in the next few weeks. The Writers aren't getting paid royalties for their work if it's distributed online, and the Producers don't want to commit to paying them without knowing how it will affect the rest of their business. Here's two links with information on both sides of that story:

http://www.wga.org/

http://www.amptp.org/

Frankly I think it's good business. People are already downloading the episodes of many shows from various sites on the web. They are available less then 24 hours after they are aired.The TV networks can't control this - it's a case if you can't beat them join them. The networks - for a small charge - offer you the real deal with no hassle whatsoever. It's a shrewd and clever move. I'm sorry I can't give you website names but I know of many and they are easy to find.

From an advertizers point of view, I think this is great!

I am the consumer. I watch a lot of shows on the net now.

The short commercials are actually seen. I look at them and click out of them back to the program. I actually know what was said in the short amount of time because I can't leave without seeing the advertizer. Plus I don't have to wait 5 minutes for the show to come back on. As long as it is kept short, this is great. I would pay more for an ad if I were the only one as it is now.

Well one thing they can do. Is they can delete any show they want from most video players.... The new HDTV signal has something called a "Broadcast Flag" in it which allows content providers to have more control over content that has been distributed.

(Feel free to Google or "Yahoo! Search" the term "Broadcast Flag")

They in effect can tell your video recorder that it must erase (for example) all Simpsons episodes that are over 3 weeks old.... (Regardless if you have enough room on the unit to fit more new episodes...) The Broadcast flag technology sucks.... But it was just one of the ways congress cow tows to the Hollywood bigwigs.

At the present time, there are insufficient facts to support any claim made here.

One area of negotiation will be royalties for these shows. Everyone involved will need to get paid, perhaps based on number of downloads and bonuses for getting over a certain level of downloads

A show such as "Ugly Betty" charges a channel like "E4" to put there show onto TV. Then E4 would get money from peoples TV lisence, Completions etc..i think.