Two Fall NBC Shows Appear on iTunes Despite Apple Fight
Chuck, Journeyman Produced by Studios Other than NBC-Universal's In-House Company
By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/27/2007 5:41:00 PM
Two of NBC’s fall shows, Chuck and Journeyman, have appeared for sale on iTunes, Apple’s digital-media store. After a heated public dispute, NBC declined to renew its contract with iTunes, which is set to expire in December. In response, Apple said it would not sell any of NBC’s fall shows on the store, citing the fact that it would have to pull them halfway through their seasons.
So why are Chuck and Journeyman getting the iTunes treatment? Chuck is produced by Warner Bros. Television Studios, while Journeyman is produced by 20th Century Fox. Both of the programs are available under the banner of the studios that produce them, but not the network that airs them.
None of the new shows produced by Universal Media Studios, NBC's in-house production company, is available on iTunes.
Representatives for NBC and Apple confirmed that the shows are available on iTunes because they were not produced by Universal Media Studios.
