ABC Starts 24/7 Internet-Based News Channel

from the forget-television... dept

Following the collapse of any plans to merge Disney's ABCNews with AOL-Time Warner's CNN, ABCNews has moved forward with plans to offer their own 24 hour news channel - but this one will be entirely on the web. It's an interesting idea, but at $5/month they may be hard pressed to find enough willing subscribers. While people can be convinced to pay for some video content - straight news probably doesn't fall into that category. There are so many competing free or cheap sources for broadcast news, that it's tough to come up with a justification for paying $5/month for a single channel of regularly repeated news in a tiny, choppy screen.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Mar 2003 @ 6:22am

    No Subject Given

    D.O.A.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    thecaptain, 12 Mar 2003 @ 7:07am

    Even with video..

    Heck, even 24/7 videos of news stories I can get for free right now at the CTVnewsnet site (its a canadian company..but then I'm canadian so I prefer it)

    It has their latest news stories and you can view the segments all you wish.

    It amazes how media companies are so full of themselves that they think I'd be willing to pay them 5$ a month just to get ABC's take on the news.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Frank Stallone, 12 Mar 2003 @ 11:53am

    Re: Even with video..

    Don't forget Peter Jennings is Canadian!

    You know if it were really a valuable service I might consider it. I think that the average age of the Internet surfer that plays video on the web may be too young to consider paying. Public Radio in the US (not the CBC) does okay asking for donations, but the public radio demographic is a little older.

    -Dave

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Adam, 12 Mar 2003 @ 2:02pm

    good for them, er... sort of

    It's good that this dot com has a money making business model in place BEFORE they launch. It's interesting to see how comapnies are now feeling around in the dark to see what price a consumer will pay for services. $5/month is waaaay too much for what they are offering. I second the motion for DOA.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Jimmy, 12 Mar 2003 @ 7:58pm

    Agreed... Although

    It's a real problem, when people start charging for stuff that should be free. Can you imagine paying over $50/month with all the Real Player SuperPass subscriptions?? I pay $120/month for my digital cable and roadrunner, and you know what, paying for the "baby screen" just ain't worth it. I already paid my Lifetime for Tivo and I'm not even sure that will last.

    The only way these subscriptions work is for people who live abroad or maybe college students who don't have TV or cable(but its America, everyone is almost wired).

    I know Mike doesn't like Apple, but the .mac accounts work really well for $50-$100 for the year, instead of per month. I think this may be a better subscription billing method, just because a yearly payment at a low cost beats big overheads.

    Go USA!
    JIMMYG!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    teresa brown, 26 Jun 2007 @ 1:38am

    ive been tyring to get your fax number again.

    to whom it may concern, i teresa brown @ alralphafia alpha and omega gospel music.have been trying sense saturday. by call your local channnel 7 NBC NEWS @ 951 682-5970. and the reason being id like to have a concert review with your station on my local and non local gosphel and R&B artist.in our local inland empire area.for our grand opening sponorship. on our help heal and recultivaite, the san bernardino downtown area. we would love it for this channel to have an email addres of some kind. it realy would be alot of help.however we her @ TNI ENTERTAIMENT MUSIC AND PRODUCTION COMPANY. would like to inform you on the facts. were just not an promotion company. but we have finaical help from fildelty finacial mortg corp loan officer and coordniator TEREASA BROWN, DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE treatment program through ANDREW L. BROWN JR. specializing in taking your athletic department to the chamionships -through DAVID LETT JR. HIV & aids prevention- through PATRICA GREEN-PASTOR GAREY SMITH JUVENILE AND ADULT ADVOCY-COUNSELING THROUGH -BEATRICE ANN FORTSON, PHD CLINICAL DIERCTOR. LAST BUT YET LEASE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER RAILTO CA. WE HER @ ALRALPHFIA ALHPA AND OMEGA- THE BEGINNING AND THE END also the First and the Last. presenting lett it go record. with TNI ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC PRODUCTION. would like to have a televisied show with the CHANNEL 7 NBC NEWS @ our up coming grand opening sponorship program.in Rancho cucomonga ca @ the GOLDY'S recreational center.this televized show is about the fact that we are interrest in removing the homeless off the street in the downtown SAN bernardino area. as we do this it is our mission to.dealing with Catastrophic Events crisis/ CHAOS /SHOCK HOPING ANGAINST HOPE. THE NEED -SUPPORT.COMFORT.EMPATHY FOR CONFUNSION HELP FINDING RESOURCES.CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGNOSIS.EMPATHY FOR PAIN.THIS IS ONLY APARTOF OUR MISSION HERE @ TNI MUSIC ENTERTAIMENT PRODUCTION PROMTION ANGENTCY.WITH ALL OF THIS WE WILL WORK HARD WITH THE HELP OF THE ALMIGHT JEOVHA RALPHFIA. WE CAN GET THIS ACCOMPLISHED. NOTE AS OF JULY 1ST THE OMINI TRANSIT BUS WILL RAISE IT'S PRICE OF AND OUT RAGEOUS PRICE OF $100.00 WERE DOSE THIS PUT OUR LOW INCOME FAMILY'S we want to get beggers off the street of inland empire. how can we by promotions to our community likes this is our mission. to recultivate the san bernardino area.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    cristiano, 20 Feb 2009 @ 10:45pm

    real estate

    Real estate really helps me in choosing the right place to live. I have bought a house and an acre of land.
    ______________________________________________________________
    cristiano
    by owner

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    cristiano, 20 Feb 2009 @ 10:47pm

    real estate

    Real estate really helps me in choosing the right place to live. I have bought a house and an acre of land.
    ______________________________________________________________
    cristiano
    by owner

    link to this | view in thread ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.