Time Warner chief warns against ITV paywall
Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes has rebuked ITV chiefs over their decision to erect a partial online paywall, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.
Bewkes believes that an advertising boom is within reach of broadcasters if they hang tight through the present economic recovery, but only if UK broadcasters offer all programming on demand at no extra cost.
Stressing scepticism at a business model which turns "your home TV set into a pay phone" via micro payments. Instead Bewkes believes that revenues can be better generated around targeted digital advertisements which are only possible with the larger viewership of free models.
ITV announced last week that they would begin charging for on demand content within the next 18 months, although ITV1 will remain free.