Digital News Highlight 11/9/05

Eff disney, but still.....


ABC Bolsters Digital Presence, Offers "Lost" Podcast

ABC has just launched its official "Lost" podcast, just weeks after making
videos of the hit TV series available through the iTunes Music Store. The
podcast will feature exclusive interviews with cast members, and is anchored
by series creator Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse. Each
weekly podcast will tease fans about what's coming next in the series, and
answer questions from "Lost" viewers. The first episode features Josh
Holloway (Sawyer) and Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), who'll discuss what happened
when they filmed the raft scenes. Initially, the podcasts will be available
directly from ABC.com, but will also be available starting November 15th on
iTunes.

The move adds further strength to the seemingly growing relationship between
Apple and ABC/Disney. ABC is so far the only major media firm to agree to
sell TV shows - including "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" - through
Apple's digital media service. However, recent reports have suggested that
CBS is discussing similar plans. Separately, CBS and NBC will soon offer
99-cent downloads of top shows, though the programs are only viewable for a
finite period of time, and are confined to the television.

Story by news analyst Jonny Evans.