Broadcast TV to Move to Internet?

[Donald Binks]

In the paper today here in Oz one of the TV industry moguls was saying that the regional affiliation of the Nine Network (City) to Win (Country) will probably not be renewed within the next five years when such comes up and that in future Nine will probably stream its programmes over the Internet - so that (presumably) we in the rural areas will have to watch them this way?

Is this the future? Does this mean that I will have to pay more for my broadband service (downloads) in order that I can get television programming - and then have to watch it all on a computer?

Of course there is the possibility that I may expire before all this happens and may not yet have to chuck all the TV sets out.

Sometimes I wish that technology would stay where it was for five minutes.

[Jim Reid]

I already watch a ton of my tv over the internet. The 4 major broadcast networks in the U.S. would not legally be able to jump to internet only programming. They all own local tv stations in the major markets. Those broadcast frequencies are owned by the government and the licenses are worth millions of dollars. While the big 4 have a toe in streaming, it's the cable networks that are more likely, and more free, to more towards the internet.