Disney Shaking Up the Industry

The announcement that the Walt Disney Company will release TV episodes online free to the public has startled the entertainment industry.  After networks began distributing programming on the web at a cost (around $1.99) an episode, it appeared that the popular model for online distribution would be the pay-TV model.  But with this announcement, Disney is moving toward the advertising/TV commercial model. In this case, the commercials can’t be deleted or skipped.  The real news is that they’ve realized normal commercials won’t work and they’ve begun experimenting with shorter lengths.  It’s a perfect case of adapting to a new medium.  CNN/Money online has the story.