Big cable companies have been beefing up their Web locations and software to combine, and complement, their cable-video and Internet programming: "Comcast and Time Warner Cable have each been meeting with cable networks to explore putting wide swaths of cable-TV content online," reported the Wall Street Journal last week here and here.
"The cable companies are looking to rethink their business," blogged the New York Times here. "Instead of simply offering a bundle of programming you can only watch over their wires in your family room, they'd sell a bundle of programming you can watch... at home... your computer... your cellphone. Comcast plans to call this service OnDemand Online... It might be free with your cable subscription or it could be an extra-fee add on."
"Comcast is the unique position of being (a cable TV provider), cable programmer and the owner of online programming guide/video portal Fancast," which competes with Hulu.com and other sites, writes PaidContent.org via the Washington Post here. "Amy Banse, president of Comcast Interactive Media, isn't sharing details about the service," beyond saying it's "a proposal to get more of the long-form programming consumers love online."
Also from PaidContent: "A trial is months away... I expect Fancast to be the portal but access will be limited to Comcast subscribers... Comcast tech acquisition thePlatform is powering the service... CEO Ian Blaine... wrote about it vaguely in a blog post: 'It is good for consumers because they get access to more content in more places. It is also good for cable networks because it doesn't put subscription fees at risk...'"























