NBC "loves" iTunes, but wants more DRM, moolah

An exec for NBC's digital division told a group of conferees this week that the network would "love" to have its shows back on iTunes—but he also went on to call for more and better DRM, and more control over pricing. In other words, the stalemate continues.

During this week's Ad:Tech conference in San Francisco, NBC digital chief George Kliavkoff praised iTunes for its "great customer experience" and declared that NBC would "love to figure out a way to distribute our content on iTunes."

But it sounds like the only way that could happen is if Apple agreed to beef up its anti-piracy policies and give NBC free rein on pricing—two of the original sticking points that lead to the network yanking its shows off iTunes last year.

In his address, Kliavkoff complained that NBC is "harmed every day by piracy" and suggested some...well, interesting ways that "leading" MP3 player makers (read: Apple) could help staunch the flow of pirated media.

"If you look at studies about MP3 players, especially leading MP3 players and what portion of that content is pirated, and think about how that content gets onto that device, it has to go through a gatekeeping piece of software, which would be a convenient place to put some antipiracy measures," Kliavkoff said.

Hmmm..."gatekeeping" software? As Apple Insider points out, it sounds like Kliavkoff is suggesting that iTunes should scan your library for pilfered content. Or, here's another scenario (postulated by Ars Technica): You'd be able to watch NBC shows on iTunes, but not on your iPod or iPhone.

Meanwhile, NBC still appears to be fuming about Apple's flat $1.99-per-episode pricing policy.

"It's really difficult for us to work with any distribution partner who says 'Here's the wholesale price and the retail price,' especially when the price doesn't reflect the full value of the product," the NBC exec said.

Of course, NBC has quite a bit more leverage now that Hulu—it's free, ad-supported video site—has launched to better-than-expected traffic.

So basically, we're looking at a long, cold war here. And while the other networks seem to be sticking with iTunes for now, I'm sure they're watching this ongoing spat with keen interest.

What do you think—eager to see NBC and iTunes kiss and make up? Or are you happy to watch NBC shows for free on Hulu?

Related:
NBC's iTunes return may hinge on offline piracy filtering [Apple Insider]