The squabble between NBC/Universal and iTunes — the latest squabble — is particularly amusing. The network has said they’re pulling their content and — in related news — said they’re launching a new service of their own, Hulu.com. The new portal has not launched yet, but the splash page up right now looks like this:
Note, second from the bottom left: “Drive”. That’s right, NBC is using this opportunity to go out on their own, to enjoy the freedom of their new lives unshackled from the iTunes master, by working with FOX, who’s promoting a show they had so much faith in that they didn’t even air the final three episodes on broadcast television. That’s not really fair. Guilt by association isn’t the problem. No, the problem is that NBC is creating a new network, building a new brand where TV isn’t, in order to be out from under the thumb of a quality service where TV is.