Attention Content Providers: You don’t get to quintuple the reward

You make money in the following ways:

1. If you own a network, you make money from advertising revenue or, if you don’t, you make money selling a show to a network
2. You make money in syndication or off-net/cable redistribution
3. You make money in DVD sales and legal downloads
4. You make money selling ads for online viewings

Most people who make a thing get a single chance to profit from it. You can’t resell a shoe or paint or a garden weasel. You need to count your blessings. I count four.

I have been a strong advocate of legal online content. I appreciate the lengths content providers have gone to, from allowing shows to be purchased on iTunes to setting up official YouTube channels. I also appreciate those who post shows on websites where they can be viewed for free “with limited commercial interruption.” Truth be told, I appreciate that option more than any other.

I don’t subscribe to a cable or satellite service, and I encourage others to do likewise. I see cable as an outdated form of distribution, heavily reliant on third and fourth parties who dictate ridiculous terms and conditions. I shouldn’t have to subsidize an entire “tier” of cable networks just to watch a single series on a single network, and I shouldn’t have to pay extra for the right to view a show on my own time. I choose not to fall victim to these demands. Instead, I view content on the internet.

I utilize individual network websites (i.e.-CBS.com and ABC.com), as well as the aforementioned official YouTube channels (for shows like “Top Gear” and “This Old House”). But, more than any other source, I rely on Hulu. And for the second time in as many months, content providers are threatening to charge viewers to use Hulu. I say ENOUGH!

If you cannot figure out how to generate profit when you’re able to collect revenue four different ways, get out of the business. I have championed copyright law which protects you and I have consciously avoided illegal downloads, torrents, et al. All I expect in return is the reasonable opportunity to view content, the key word being “reasonable.” It is unreasonable for you to seek quintuple profit from your content.

If you choose to pull your shows off of Hulu (as well as your own websites), or if you decide to charge a fee for the experience, that is where I must draw the line. As consumers, we give you multiple opportunities to get money from us. I am unwilling to allow you one more opportunity.

What I am willing to do, however, is one last compromise: Stream networks live, commercials included, over the internet. Feed your entire programing lineup over the internet in real time, allowing viewers to see the shows the way you actually intended us to see them, the only difference being the means of distribution. Then, those who choose can go on Hulu and pay to view shows at a later day or time… EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALREADY ALLOW CABLE USERS TO DO! All I am suggesting is you make the same concession for internet viewers. Not only does it not seem out of line, it seems like a sound business practice.

As is evidenced by your repeated cancellations of shows I enjoy, my opinion doesn’t matter much to you. But, if it matters at all, understand that, should you choose to charge an additional fee for online content without offering anything in return, I’ll wash my hands of you. Legal and illegal will give way to unjust and just. I will cease to support you. I will crusade against you. And I’d think twice before you dismiss me — I’ve seen your ratings. You don’t have to please me, but you have to appease me.