Buying In - (Page 89) introduction In April 2002, Jamie Kellner, the chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting, had something to say about the revolutionary technology of the digital video recorders, such as TiVo, that were just starting to gain national consumer attention. These devices (as is now well-known) are a bit like souped-up VCRs, allowing you to, among other things, click right past the advertising in shows you have recorded. “Because of the ad skips,” Kellner declared, “it’s theft. Your contract with the network when you get the show is you’re going to watch the spots. Otherwise you couldn’t get the show on an ad-supported basis. Anytime you skip a commercial . . . you’re actually stealing the programming.” Not surprisingly, Kellner was ridiculed. Aside from the apparent absurdity of anyone even wanting to “steal” the junk on commercial television (his critics laughed), this hapless flunky for the infotainment complex was clearly sputtering and flailing because a killer app was taking control away from him and his dinosaur industry. He was obviously in denial
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