A Wall Street Journal article that claims Time Warner may lower its stake in its cable TV subsidiary because the Internet is emerging as a "viable venue for watching TV" has reinvigorated the debate over whether Internet TV could replace the existing closed network pay TV business model. Next month, Time Warner plans to ask its board whether it should reduce its 84 percent stake in separately traded Time Warner Cable because of the growing influence of Internet TV and other reasons.
Following the article, Time Warner president and COO Jeff Bewkes told AdAge that "Television is very important and increasing in value, and network-based interactive TV is very powerful," while the hype surrounding online video is too "one-sided."
For more on Time Warner's plans:
- see this article from IP Democracy