Last week, the MD of Telewest’s broadband content confirmed that he is to leave the cableco. Telewest has no plans at the moment to replace David Docherty although he will carry on as a consultant.
Mr Docherty’s departure from Telewest marks a shift in strategy for the cableco. Instead of relying on generating its own broadband content the company will, instead look to provide content with “strategic partners”.
Writing in today’s Guardian Mr Docherty warns that the development of broadband will be stunted until people accept that if they want content, they will have to pay for it.
Describing those who want to keep the Internet “free” as “cookie monsters”, Mr Docherty writes: “Cookie monsters (CMs) want everything for free. They think the net is an anarchistic space and that anything intended to commercialise it is to be fiercely resisted – even if that thing is creative, innovative and inventive.”
Instead, he says that people will have to change their views about paying for content if the online medium is to deliver what it promises.
Describing those who download copyright material for free he writes: “Peer-to-peer cookie monsters are like Fagin in Oliver Twist – they just want to pick a packet or two. Whatever they say about breaking new bands and writers, the vast bulk of what p-to-p facilitates is simple theft from creative artists.”
You can read the article here
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