Broadcasters Developing Contingency Plans in Case of an Aereo Supreme Court Victory

By Merrill Knox 

aereoAlthough Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia has said there is no plan B for the streaming television service in the event of a Supreme Court loss, the Wall Street Journal reports the broadcasters are working on backup plans of their own:

The most radical of the contingency plans is the recent suggestion from CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves that the company could offer its own Internet service if Aereo wins. Mr. Moonves hasn’t provided details, but a person familiar with the situation said CBS has the ability to launch a service that would stream its programming over the Web simultaneously with its television broadcasts.

CBS would charge a few dollars a month and show ads, the person said. Such a service would also likely offer on-demand programming. It could include Showtime, the CBS-owned premium cable channel, which would increase the subscription fee, the person said. CBS would use technology company Syncbak, in which it owns a minority stake, to power streaming of local TV stations’ signals over the Web, the person said.

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Aereo will be the topic of a panel discussion at the TVNewser Show two weeks from today. BIA/Kelsey SVP Mark Fratrik, Internet attorney Tim Bukher and U.S. Law Week’s Tom Taylor will join us to debate the streaming service and break down the legal arguments for both sides. For tickets and more information, click here.

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