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CNN Drops Paid Online Video Service, While Broader Problems Persist At Time Warner

from the any-good-ideas-in-the-pipeline? dept

Wed, May 23rd 2007 10:39pm — Joseph Weisenthal

CNN has announced that it will drop the paid subscription model for its Pipeline service. The only question is: what took it so long? The problem with the service is the same one that the New York Times is experiencing with TimesSelect. It's really hard to get people to pay subscriptions online, particularly when there are so many free alternatives. Smartly, the company will continue to offer Pipeline, but it will be ad-supported, opening the service up to a much wider audience while helping to satisfy the burgeoning demand for opportunities to brand online. At this point, CNN will have some catching up to do if it wants to compete in this space, since it's not exactly a go-to destination for video. Even if CNN does resolve its issues, it will only be a small part of the equation for its parent company, Time Warner, which has a hilariously convoluted approach to video, employing a host of disparate services across its brands rather than making any attempt to unify them.

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9 Comments

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Craig Ferrante, 23 May 2007 @ 11:44pm

better late than never
Its not suprising to see cnn doing this. you see alot of local media companies using ad supported video on there sites. I dont see a reason to pay for something that is free if you just turn on your tv.
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GoblinJuice, 24 May 2007 @ 4:48am

I'm a FoxNews guy, but CNN's Pipeline interested me. Never really explored it - because it was pay - but now... I may.
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Overcast, 24 May 2007 @ 5:22am

CNN sucks bad. I wouldn't watch it if I got paid too... well... ok, that depends on how much pay too :)
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Anonymous Coward, 24 May 2007 @ 6:01am

Re:
I'm a FoxNews guy...

And you're proud of that? What is this world coming to?
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Just Me, 24 May 2007 @ 6:20am

Re: Re:
Lol, As I was reading down the comments and hit #2 my exact thought was #4's response.
Beat me to the punch I guess.
:-Þ
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Greg Andrew, 24 May 2007 @ 8:01am

Pipeline vs. Times Select
I don't see the comparison between CNN Pipeline and TimesSelect. The Times has over 200,000 paid online subscribers (not including those who have gotten free academic subscriptions or have signed up for free subscriptions because they subscribe to the daily paper; that number is 450,000 higher). Pipeline, on the other hand, had so few subscribers - despite being much cheaper per year - that no numbers have ever been made public; I'm guessing that it was in the four figures. The key to TimesSelect is actually the free use (up to 100 articles a month) of the Times Archives that comes with the subscription. Other papers have pay services for their archives too, but they are usually at least $200 a year and attract very few subscribers.
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Coward Killer, 24 May 2007 @ 9:40am

Re: Re:
I'm a FoxNews guy... And you're proud of that? What is this world coming to?
As well he should be. Now none of us will be supporting that Village Idiot Turner.
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Sean, 24 May 2007 @ 1:10pm

Re: Re: Re:
Um...I'm sure Murdoch ranks so...so..so much higher than Turner.

Or for that matter, trying to describe a true difference between FOX and CNN is about as absurd. In the end, both don't report news so much as portray a circus to entertain a viewer.

I mean, FOX really doesn't even try to hide its own contradictions, either. Bill O'Reilly tries to play himself off as a "cultural warrior" (whatever that means) as well as someone who is apart of the middle class. The man is so far removed from the common American he really should be regarded as a mere televangelist.
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Coward Killer Killer :), 24 May 2007 @ 2:13pm

Re: Re: Re:
Coward Killer? Hahaha...what a tool...do yourself a favor and try out Frontline, or other PBS news outlets. While you're at it check out the CBC or BBC. Hell, maybe a couple documentaries. The Corporation, and Outfoxed:Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism come to mind.

You wouldn't trust news coming from a door-to-door salesman or a politician, would you? (no offense to any salesmen that might be reading) Ted Turner? Rupert Murdoch? What's the difference? They tell you what that which keeps you watching, not necessarily what you need to know. Sometimes they kill stories, and even entire shows to keep you from hearing about certain hot topics.

FoxNews=TabloidTV

Don't worry, we'll make an educated media consumer out of you in no time :)
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