Codebreaker

Hulu CEO makes a lovely meal out of the hand that feeds him

John Moe Feb 3, 2011

Jason Kilar, who has run Hulu from the beginning, posted a blog entry that is critical of broadcast TV. You know, that institution that provides the content that Hulu uses in order to exist. Kilar said that traditional TV has way too many ads and that consumers want to watch TV at their own scheduling. The lengthy post is highly critical of the traditional model and makes the case that the Hulu ad-supported model works much better for everyone involved: consumer, advertiser, and content maker.

But the post comes at a time when Disney/ABC is frustrated with Hulu and considering dropping out entirely. Anonymous sources are furious with Kilar, according to the Financial Times:

“If I were given billions of dollars worth of programming, I too could probably build a business,” the source told the FT. “But I know that in order to build a long-term, viable business I would have to do so in a way that works for everybody.” Another source told the FT that they thought Kilar was out of touch with how mainstream viewers watch TV and called Kilar an “elitist.”

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