ABC Planning Free TV Show Trial

Walt Disney Co.'s ABC was the first network to offer their TV shows on the iTunes Music Store; now, the network is looking into other new ways of getting their content across.

During a two month trial, its most popular TV shows such as 'Commander in Chief' and 'Alias' along with 'Lost' and 'Desperate Housewives' will be available on the Web in May and June, starting the day after they are first broadcast. The shows will be freely available, and be supported by advertising, AT&T Inc., Ford Motor Co., Procter & Gamble Co. and Universal Pictures already signing up.

While viewers will be able to move from one 'chapter' to another freely within the same episode, they will not be able to skip the embedded ads. So far, it is unclear what technologies will be used to deliver and view the content, and whether it will only be available for certain platforms.

While many see this move as the end of the iTunes Music Store, that is far from the case. The two distribution methods have different advantages and appeal to different targets. Those who value mobility and ease will prefer to pay for the shows and be able to own them, commercial free, without any hassle.