TVSquad

FOX has become the next network to offer some of its shows online, but it's doing it a little bit differently. Rather than streaming the shows on its own site, FOX is offering them on the sites of stations the network owns, with future plans to have the shows eventually offered on affiliate sites, as well. As of right now, sites for stations in Boston, Dallas, New York, Washington DC, Orlando, Birmingham, Los Angeles, Greensboro, and Tampa Bay will stream episodes of Prison Break, Stacked, Bones, American Dad, and The Loop. FOX is also offering downloads on it's MySpace and IGN sites, as Anna mentioned earlier. The network is definitely taking a different approach with this than others are, and it will be interesting to see how it all works out.

At the TCA press tour yesterday (or what was left of it; many critics had already left), PBS president Paula Kerger told critics that the new FCC regulations regarding fines might imperil the existence of many of the network stations. Remember, public television stations are always hanging on by the skins of their teeth through federal funding and viewer donations, and the ten-fold increase in fines, from $32,500 to $325,000 per incident, might bankrupt these stations if they aren't careful.

Combine the increased fine amount with the FCC's hazy guidelines, says Kerger, and viewers may find that there will be a lot less worthwhile programming on public television. "This is about filmmakers that have powerful stories that now are not being allowed to tell those s tories on public television or broadcast television," she told the critics.