NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Google Announces Merger with Major TV Networks
Google Announces Merger with Major TV Networks
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000531.html
[ Of possible interest ... -- Lauren ]
April 1, 2009
Google Announces Merger with Major TV Networks
Mountain View, CA (VTX) -- In a move sending shock waves throughout
the Internet and broadcasting worlds, Internet services giant Google
today announced a merger between Google and the four major U.S.
commercial television networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX) plus cable news
operations CNN and FOX News.
The new corporate name for the merged entity will be "Google."
In the first entry of the new official "Google TV Blog" that appeared
this morning, Google VP for Television Programming Quality and Viewer
Experience, Harvey Flint, noted that, "Google hopes to rapidly bring
the changes associated with our 'don't be evil' corporate philosophy
to these acquired properties, especially FOX News."
Among reported major changes already being planned for the broadcast
networks under the Google regime will be a requirement that commercial
breaks take place at exactly ten minute intervals, to allow for
dependable synchronization with Google's YouTube viewers.
Industry reaction to the announcement has been generally favorable.
Longtime broadcasting columnist Rhoda Grant of "Multitudinous Channel"
magazine commented that, "Considering how badly broadcasters have
screwed up by mishandling the Internet Revolution themselves, there's
no way that Google can possibly make things any worse. And besides, I
own Google stock."
There were some cautionary observers. Barney Blase, owner of a small
rural ISP in Frostbite Falls, Minnesota, complained that, "All this
emphasis on video is ridiculous. There's nothing worthwhile that
can't be accomplished via dial-up acoustic modems and punched paper
tape."
Executives of the acquired broadcasting networks were unavailable for
comment, reportedly due to their attending of a hurriedly arranged
meeting to update their "LinkedIn" profiles.
VTX-2009-04-01 GOOG001
- - -
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
- People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
- Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, GCTIP - Global Coalition
for Transparent Internet Performance - http://www.gctip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Twitter: LW1