Links: Viacom On Already!

TECH NEWS

Yep, the conglomerates just don't know what the digital future will hold. Will there be more $500 million deals like this pact between Viacom and Microsoft in the future? Who knows?!

Andrew Baron, producer of the popular video blog Rocketboom, expalins Eight Reasons the TV Studios Will Die. Allow me to propose one way NOT to die: Make a fair deal with the creators of your content so you can work TOGETHER to preserve and grow your business. Seems simple enough.

Poll: More TV viewers turning to the web.

STRIKE ANALYSIS

Handel: Let's cross our fingers that the DGA has the power to get everyone back to work.

Robert Elisberg rockin' the house again on HuffPo.

"...If corporations only have to pay $250 for residuals on the Internet as opposed to $20,000 on TV -- where do you think all reruns will eventually be shown?

It gets worse. The corporations don't want original Internet content covered for the WGA. Where do you think the first-run "broadcast" of a series will be? After streaming once on the Internet, a company can simply "re-air" it on network TV. It's the same screen. The only difference is that General Electric-Sony-TimeWarner-Fox won't have had to pay more than a pittance for the material.

If you don't think this would happen, you haven't been watching the AMPTP offering zero and walking away from the table...

Roger Ebert: Thumbs down on studio greed.

AMUSEMENT

WGA vs AMPTP at Home

Cantinero sings his strike ballad "No Apologies" in Times Square. Yes, the Naked Cowboy inserts himself in the shot.

Christmas Carols!

- From the AMPTP Children's Choir of Truth
- From Peter Rader