Image via Wikipedia
FORTUNE -- It must be immensely frustrating to either own or manage Hulu. The viewing public is moving away from cable and satellite toward Internet viewing, but so slowly and uncertainly that programmers can't simply port all their shows online and be done with it. They have to keep the cable and satellite providers happy because for now, that's where the money is.
And it's programmers that own Hulu, though not for long. The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday reported that Hulu is now on the block, no doubt largely because of the confusing morass of conflicts not only with cable and satellite providers, but also with Hulu's own CEO, Jason Kilar, over how many commercials to show and how much to charge for Hulu Plus, the service's premium offering that currently costs a paltry $8 a month.
But it's those same conflicts that could make selling Hulu a big challenge. Hulu can't be sold -- at least not for a decent return -- unless it has long-term programming commitments in place from its owners: Disney (DIS), Comcast (CMCSA), and News Corp. (NWSA) (Providence Equity Partners also holds a stake). Making those commitments simply prolongs the headaches the owners are trying to relieve through a sale, but nobody will want to buy Hulu unless it still has fresh, free television shows to offer.
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Nintendo's Wii U console, announced yesterday. Photo: Nintendo
* Nintendo pulled the wraps off its highly-anticipated new home videogame console, the Wii U. During the press event, the company emphasized the actual gaming experience over hardware specifications, though it was pretty quickly established that games would be in high-definition, MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer-Reporter - Jun 8, 2011 10:19 AM ET
A flurry of last-minute music industry deal-making, a cloud of confusion
Source: L.A. Times
You might think that Apple (AAPL), having labored for more than a year to get its new music and video streaming service -- dubbed iCloud -- ready for prime time, would have nailed down the necessary digital rights before making any public announcements.
But that's not the way negotiations work, especially in the entertainment industry. So it wasn't MORE
Philip Elmer-DeWitt - Jun 3, 2011 6:38 AM ET
With a debate about major changes to IP, copyright and piracy statutes erupting in Washington, industry lobbyists and Google are engaged in a war of words.
Image via CrunchBase
FORTUNE -- A scathing report delivered to the British government this week urges that policy on intellectual property be applied "on the basis of evidence, rather than weight of lobbying." That, the report noted, would be a big change from the status MORE
Dan Mitchell, contributor - May 20, 2011 12:28 PM ETEvery morning, discover the companies, deals and trends in tech that are moving markets and making headlines. SUBSCRIBE
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| Company | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America Corp... | 7.95 | -0.16 | -1.97% |
| Microsoft Corp | 31.27 | -0.17 | -0.54% |
| Ford Motor Co | 12.28 | -0.25 | -2.00% |
| General Electric Co | 19.39 | 0.17 | 0.88% |
| Citigroup Inc | 32.36 | -1.00 | -3.00% |
| Index | Last | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 12,938.67 | -27.02 | -0.21% |
| Nasdaq | 2,933.17 | -15.40 | -0.52% |
| S&P 500 | 1,357.66 | -4.55 | -0.33% |
| Treasuries | 2.00 | -0.04 | -1.96% |
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