Just as a fourth major network has blocked programming from the service, Google TV executives are trying to calm industry fears that consumers are going to leave satellite and cable services in favor of their new web-based model.
Google TV product lead Rishi Chandra addressed the issue at this week’s NewTeeVee Live conference in San Francisco.
"Our point of view is that cord cutting is not happening," Chandra said. "We think the cable industry does a pretty good job of delivering content to users, so we don’t think that all of a sudden users are going to shut off all that content. “
Chandra added that Google TV is not meant to replace cable, but rather is designed to integrate television with the web to provide a convenient interface for users.
But executives over at Fox either didn’t get the memo or didn’t care about Chandra’s statements. On Thursday the network became the fourth major network to block access to their web programming on Google TV, following in the footsteps of ABC, CBS, and NBC.
And cable company management may not agree with Chandra’s assertion that cord cutting isn’t happening. During the third quarter of this year Time Warner, Comcast, and Cablevision lost a combined 455,000 subscribers. While the lagging economy is to blame for some of those, the debate wages on as to whether internet services are stealing away others.
While Google TV may be looking a bit less appealing to potential customers now, they still have a backup plan in the works. The company is currently trying to bring Hulu Plus on board to help replace access to programming that has been blocked by the networks. Of course, this would cost users an additional $10 per month subscription.
I personally believe that cord cutting is a real phenomenon, and if it was just me in my household I would cut off cable service in a heartbeat in favor of online programming. Do you see yourself cutting the cord anytime in the near future?
