This dispute is going on now, tonight. There are obviously at least two sides to this story (Viacom &Time Warner Cable). You’d think a media giant like Viacom would know how to handle this one, but it seems that all they’ve got is that splash screen in front of a bunch of their websites and this uninspiring ad. Time Warner Cable, which you might think is just a bunch of network plumbers, seems a little more connected. They’ve got people on Twitter (one, two, three) who are actually talk with people, not just at them. jeffTWC (whose profile says he’s TWC’s director of digital communication) points out that Viacom appears to be threatening to block web access to their sites from TWC’s customers.
Still, isn’t this so old economy? Time Warner Cable needs Viacom’s content, but Viacom needs to Time Warner Cable’s audience.
New economy: it seems a growing number of customers are happy just getting internet access and spending their evenings on Facebook with Hulu playing in the background.