Time Warner Cable Inc. is taking Viacom Inc. to court in a case that exposes a schism in the cable TV industry over who has licensing rights to show television programs over Internet-connected gadgets such as the iPad tablet computer.
Time Warner Cable argues that it is allowed under its existing contract to show Viacom’s content in consumers’ homes regardless of the type of device they view it on. Viacom disagrees and wants to be able to charge more money for the capability.
The fight centers on an “app” that Time Warner Cable launched last month that streams live television to Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet, but it has broader implications as the industry tries to sort out who’s owed what when content is viewed in the home on screens other than the television set.
The rise of smartphones and tablets, combined with ubiquitous high-speed Internet connections, is giving people new ways of watching TV that don’t involve their actual televisions. Figuring out licensing rights for content shown on the new gadgets is new terrain.
Time Warner Cable filed its case against Viacom on Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Time Warner Cable has been embroiled in controversy since releasing the app. It was forced to drop a dozen cable channels after three big programmers — Viacom, Discovery Communications Inc. and News Corp.’s Fox Cable Networks — complained that the companies’ existing license agreements didn’t cover distributing the content to the iPad.
Time Warner Cable’s app only works for people who pay for the company’s video and Internet service and are using the iPad in their homes, while connected to the company’s modem through a Wi-Fi router. The company is asking for a “declaratory judgment” — a ruling that Time Warner is within its rights under the current agreement to show the programming that it has licensed to customers regardless of the type of screen it’s viewed on in their homes.
AD&Co. Launches Studio A; Davida Hall To Head New Venture As Sr. Director of Creative Content
Female-founded and led creative marketing agency AD&Co. has opened Studio A. The new venture will serve as AD&Co.’s in-house social brand content division, focused on developing and producing digital programming for advertising, social media, and influencer marketing campaigns designed to reach today’s audiences on the most popular and pivotal platforms. Davida Hall has been named to head Studio A as sr. director of creative content. She shifts over from AD&Co. where she held the same title since December 2023. Hall’s affiliations prior to AD&Co. include PopSugar and Studio71.
Amy Demas, founder and chief creative officer of AD&Co., said, “We understand content is king-—or queen—and that our clients need to engage their customer communities where they live. That inspired the logical expansion of AD&Co with Studio A, which is committed to producing only the most engaging and authentic brand stories.”
Studio A will harness both AD&Co’s and Hall’s deep expertise in the lifestyle sector, as content creators and avid consumers. Specializing in reaching audiences where they spend their time, the studio is immersed in social media, pop culture, and current trends, expertly crafting visuals, language, and storytelling to reinforce client brand identities and cut through the noise.
Studio A debuts with the “This Is Me” campaign for Love + Craft + Beauty, a brand dedicated to embracing and promoting diversity within the beauty space. “This Is Me” highlights Gen Z’s affinity for radical self-expression that allows individuals to tell their own stories, free from labels, using beauty and fashion as tools of authenticity. The campaign showcases models celebrating their unique qualities to present... Read More