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Turner CEO: "PVR Users Are Thieves"

Posted by timothy on from the they'll-burn-with-the-library-and-museum-goers dept.

mrbrown1602 writes: "It was bound to happen - 2600.com is reporting that Turner Broadcasting CEO Jamie Kellner is calling PVR users thieves. When asked why personal video recorders are bad for the industry, Keller says 'Because of the ad skips.... It's theft. Your contract with the network when you get the show is you're going to watch the spots. Otherwise you couldn't get the show on an ad-supported basis. Any time you skip a commercial or watch the button you're actually stealing the programming.' Since when have we made contracts with the broadcasters for watching their content? More of the 2600 article can be found here."

3 of 906 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Is it also theft to just NOT WATCH the ads? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Is closing your eyes or going for a pee allowed?

  2. Not really futile by Tyreth · · Score: 0, Redundant

    People advertise on TV because people watch the ads. If people find clever ways of removing ads and never watch them, the advertisers would soon realise. TV would see less/no ads, and we would no longer have "free" tv.

    We signed no contracts, as was said. Let the advertisers advertise on TV. If they think it doesn't reach an audience, let them stop paying the tv stations. This issue will sort itself out if left to run it's own natural course.

  3. Re:Contract with the networks by bdgcorp · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Just Stop Watching. Stop paying for Cable. Don't give them so much leverage by being one of their lemmings...