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America Online

AOL Plans TV Channel 39

Posted by Hemos from the dear-lord dept.
Ed Powell writes "CNN has a story about how AOL is looking into creating a TV channel. Looks like MSNBC is getting some competition soon. " Can they spam my TV ads?
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AOL Plans TV Channel More

AOL Plans TV Channel

Comments Filter:
  • See this [liberate.com].

    AOL bought NetChannel Inc yonks ago (search for NetChannel on news.com for the background), and the AOL TV service is built, in part, by ex-NetChannel people. Blah, blah, blah... Whatever.

  • Will we be plagued by static? Automatically forwarded to a PAX Network station? The invention of the TV Busy Signal?
    Nah.... Who's gonna watch?
  • Ever see that guy (the stocky muscular guy with short blonde hair) on the Home Shopping Channel who shouts at you for a half hour straight about how great his product is? That's how I picture AOL TV.
  • Which article? The one the link goes to has nothing about set-top boxes. Actually it doesn't have much of anything, although I assume they're planning a cable and not a broadcast channel. Of course if they want to actually get on any cable systems they'll probably need to be part owners of same.

  • Will they start sending me free VHS tapes in the mail and pack they in with magazines in an attempt to make me "convince my local cable or satallite provider to carry their fine programing?" (TM)

    That would suck, not only because they are doing it, but the fact that the tapes probably won't be full length and I counldn't reuse them like I used to reuse the AOL floppies.

  • Here's what I would like to know:

    will anyone on the AOL channel be able to say "breast"???????

    Inquiring minds want to know.
    --

  • The fact that AOL and MSNBC will be launching TV channels goes to show that these guys are ready to put "innovation" aside for a quick buck.

    Television is a 50 year old technology. There's really not much more you can do with it nowadays than 20 years ago!

    It's quite sickening to see all their consumer's money go towards an attempt to cash in on the TV broadcast industry. If I was an AOL user I would be wondering why they didn't put my fees into better network access and services.

    Yes, I know - it's business. But its not CONSUMER ORIENTATED business. AOL and MSNBC doesn't care at all about their users - rather it seems they are more interested in manipulating them with glitsy banner ads and spam.

    I'll pay my slightly higher fees for my local ISP. At least I'll be happy knowing that my money is going to help feed a family and upgrade my connection - I'de rather that than support a wannabee media Monopoly.
  • The title of the CNN news piece is somewhat confusing ("AOL plans TV channel") and Case sez "We don't want to turn the TV into a computer", but if it is planning on offering "email" and "chat forums", it does look like a WebTV clone ...

    Not a very informative news story, IMO ...

    YS.
  • ZDTV [zdtv.com] is the way to go. Best shows. Best topics.

  • ...they'll just have small 13" TV sets pop up next to your big screen whenever you change the channel. Unfortunately, you'll only be able to watch ads on the smaller one.

  • If it's anything like the real AOL, the picture will be letterboxed and it'll have a commercial ticker running across the top and bottom of the screen. Let's just hope AOL doesn't decide to televise their chat rooms, though..

    At best, sounds like "Bloomberg Financial Television" or any other easily-confusing television "program" with stock/commercial/weather tickers cluttering up the screen.

    At worst, they could let the "AOL Community" make the programming decisions.

    How do you make a television show IN ALL CAPS?

  • I Hate That Guy!

    I especially love the way, that he can give you no reason other than THIS IS SOO COOL! to try to get you to buy it.
  • NO NO NO! UNSUBSCRIB ME PLZ FROM THIS LSIT

    "Cake or death!" (E. Izzard)
  • Can't wait for the "Me Too!" show, and infomercials for "make money fast" pyramid schemes.
    ^. .^
    ( @ )
  • AOL is just a big company with software that does not appeal to me at this time. As long as they improve netscape, then more power to them for having a crappy tv-channel. I won't watch... you can if you want to.
  • If you actually read the article, Hemos, you'd actually see that it's not competition for MSNBC and it's not a TV channel. AOL-TV is competition for WebTV. It's a set-top box.

    So much for /.'s "quality" news.

    -Todd

    ---
  • MSNBC, the joint venture between Microsoft & NBC? Doesn't that count? I would imagine breaking into television would be expensive business. Would AOL do a joint venture with someone already established? "A(OL|BC)", between AOL & ABC? Or AOL|CBS? I think part of their content is served up by CBS. They could have an interesting joint logo -- both of their logos are Eyes. OK, I'm just typing stream of consciousness now...


    j-a-w-a-d------------------------------
    replace ,'s in e-mail address with .'s.
  • Following the free cell phone and free PC trend, maybe they will start offering up free televisions if you subscribe. (only half kidding here...)

    AOL's core strategy is AOL anywhere. They are a media company for all practical purposes- and the fact is that way more people have TV's than have computers. I've been expectin this anouncement for quite a while. Add a set top box and a keyboard, and your mother will be able to IM you while your watching a pay per view porno. Gee, isn't technology grand!
  • > "It's not in our interest to invest in infrastructure. It wouldn't be very smart for us to buy everything in the online world"

    It's nice to see a huge-ass company actually discounting the possibility of owning the world. Too many companies try to deliver way too much - the technology and the content. It's my hope that content provision shifts more and more to outsourced creative companies - there is so much wasted bandwidth and exposure out there given to second rate content, when there are tons of creative masterminds waiting in the shadows for someone to give them the spot light.

  • Huh. (Score:1)

    by Rabbins ( 70965 )
    Makes you wonder why Microsoft does not have its own channel yet.

    As internet providers are leaning more towards the free side, AOL needs new sources of revenue. No matter how happy people are with their service, eventually, the offer for free service is going to make an impression on them. I am sure AOL sees this coming.

  • Uh (Score:1)

    by witz ( 79173 )
    You gotta be kidding. Anyone who poisons their soul by watching an AOL channel deserves what they get.

    Just think about it...24 hours of AOLspeak per day. BAK TO THE ROOMSAQ FOR JAQ, TOSSAQ.



    -witz
  • I prefer ZDTV myself as well...although you really can't compare MSNBC to ZDTV, different focus for each channel.



    -witz
  • I agree....ZDTV is a good first for a 24/7 computing channel. Maybe CNET, Wired, and Mecklermedia will follow suit and raise the geek factor a couple notches for the rest of us.
  • I wonder if the aol hackers would try to steal tv access as much as they try to steal usernames and passwords. Instead of phishing groups the would start break in crews to steal your tv box.
  • If it's anything like the real AOL, the picture will be letterboxed and it'll have a commercial ticker running across the top and bottom of the screen. Let's just hope AOL doesn't decide to televise their chat rooms [min.net], though..

    ---

  • How do you make a television show IN ALL CAPS?
    You haven't seen the new UPN network schedule?

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