MTV is attempting to do on the Internet what it hasn't managed to swing on TV: become a premium channel. MTV Networks, owned by cable colossus Viacom Inc., has told leading Internet service providers it wants to charge between 2 and 5 cents a month per subscriber for access to its online news and reviews. For an ISP the size of CompuServe, with some 5.3 million subscribers, that would translate into fees of more than US$1 million a year.Major providers are resisting the move. "I can't picture us paying ôla carte for a hundred different Web sites," says Prodigy spokesperson Carol Wallace, adding that her company has "no intention" of meeting MTV's demand for extra cash.The fear is that if MTV succeeds in milking ISPs for spare change, other content providers with high brand awareness may follow suit. While people want their MTV, it's uncertain how much they're willing to pay for it.
- David Lazarus
ELECTRIC WORD
MTV ôla Carte?
The Post Office Strikes Again�
