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There is simply no example, not one – in print, on line, in television – of quality content offered for free ever resulting in a viable business. What about br
by jackowayed 18y ago
There is simply no example, not one – in print, on line, in television – of quality content offered for free ever resulting in a viable business.
What about broadcast TV stations? Anyone with an antenna can receive them and has been able to for decades, and I think they're a "viable business."
- TweedHeads 18y agoFor the love of science, fix the 'code' bug already. And you, jackowayed, could you please split that line in two? Please?
- RiderOfGiraffes 18y agoOr put it in italics instead of indenting it.
- briansmith 18y agoIt is happening in TV too. TV producers have been slowly moving their expensive content to pay TV and producing new low-cost shows ("reality TV" and gameshows) for broadcast. Plus, they use their broadcast channels as the stick to beat cable/satellite operators' into paying more for their cable channel bundles. For example, Disney moved Monday Night Football from ABC (free) to ESPN (the most expensive non-premium channel). Larry David effectively moved "Seinfeld" from NBC to HBO. Dance and singing contests, primetime gameshows, and hours and hours of news broadcasts (5:30-11:00am, 12:00am, 4:00-6:30pm, 10:00-11:00pm where I live) have replaced dramas and comedies. The dramas and comedies that are left are whatever ones that HBO didn't want.
- jackowayed 18y agoVery true, and I'm not disputing that free has issues. But saying that no solid business has ever been based on free is just plain wrong.