By David B. Wilkerson & Alan Doyle, MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Two Time Warner Inc. units plan to counter TV networks' video on demand by offering vintage television programs such as "Welcome Back, Kotter" free over the Internet, the company said.
Beginning in January, In2TV plans to offer 300 episodes per month and about 100 shows in the first year on six channels ranging from comedy to drama, and Warner Bros. has cleared 300 series, or about 14,000 individual episodes, for use on the service, including a diverse range of programs including "The FBI," Eight Is Enough," "Growing Pains," "Chico and the Man," "V" and "Head of the Class."
The 30-minute shows will include up to two minutes' worth of 15-second commercials that viewers can't circumvent, America Online said.
In the latest reflection of industry-wide concerns about digital piracy, the service won't allow viewers to record shows.
The move is part of its effort to transition AOL from a dialup service to the portal-based model, taking advantage of both the increased penetration of high-speed Internet connections and rising online-advertising revenues.
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