Technology Exclusive: CBS forced CNET staff to recast vote after Hopper won 'Best in Show' at CES

[tom_mai78101]

On Friday, news broke that CNET had been forced by its parent company CBS to remove the Dish Network's Hopper set-top box from its "Best of CES" awards due to ongoing litigation between the two companies. CBS has been battling the Dish Network in court over the Hopper's ability to skip past commercials automatically (NBC, ABC, and Fox are also taking action).

CBS Interactive representatives told The Verge that the Hopper with Sling had been "withdrawn from consideration" from the "Best of CES" awards due to CBS's lawsuit with Dish; that the ban on coverage is limited only to specific products implicated in ongoing litigation with CNET's parent company; and that the ban only applied to product reviews and that news coverage would be exempt. That policy appears to have been hastily put in place. Prior to the move Friday, CNET had reviewed the Hopper and written extensively about the device.

But the problems may go deeper than that. The Verge has now learned that the facts of the case are somewhat different than the story CNET and CBS had previously shared with the public. According to sources familiar with the matter, the Hopper was not simply an entrant in the Best of CES awards for the site: it was actually chosen as the winner of the "Best of Show" award (as voted by CNET's editorial staff).

Exclusive: CBS forced CNET staff to recast vote after Hopper won 'Best in Show' at CES

The Dish Network's Hopper wasn't simply in the running: it had actually taken the top prize

www.theverge.com

 

[Varine]

Though I think advertisement is obviously an important thing for television companies as otherwise they would have no revenue, I really think it's getting time for them to change the methodology of how they portray them. I mean no one likes ads regardless of where they're at, but a third of the TV show being ads is a little ridiculous. I honestly think that pretty soon they should more or less scrap traditional TV, and just make everything on demand online, with a few commercials in between like Hulu.

 

[FireCat]

they should more or less scrap traditional TV, and just make everything on demand online, with a few commercials in between like Hulu.

Well, there shouldn't be "any commercials" at all.
Hmm sounds heavenly, doesn't it?

 

[Varine]

Great idea, you figure out a new way to pay for the shows.

 

[DM Cross]

Though I think advertisement is obviously an important thing for television companies as otherwise they would have no revenue, I really think it's getting time for them to change the methodology of how they portray them. I mean no one likes ads regardless of where they're at, but a third of the TV show being ads is a little ridiculous. I honestly think that pretty soon they should more or less scrap traditional TV, and just make everything on demand online, with a few commercials in between like Hulu.

I've been telling my wife and co-workers that I can see services like Hulu, Netflix, etc. etc. will eventually replace Television all together. Soon enough we won't need regular ol' TVs, but big ol' monitors connected to computers.

Then again, with how we're now making Smart TVs that have 3-D, that's probably more or less what we're starting to do.

 

[FireCat]

Great idea, you figure out a new way to pay for the shows.

But seriously, we're paying too much already. So isn't it quite strange ... they need to add commercials every minute.eh?

 

[Varine]

I've been telling my wife and co-workers that I can see services like Hulu, Netflix, etc. etc. will eventually replace Television all together. Soon enough we won't need regular ol' TVs, but big ol' monitors connected to computers.

Then again, with how we're now making Smart TVs that have 3-D, that's probably more or less what we're starting to do.

I pay 60 dollars a month for Internet (that doesn't work as advertised but whatever, it's Internet). I can watch whatever television show I want whenever I want, and yeah I have to watch ads, but I don't mind ads. And if I really don't want to watch it, I can go to an LTL site with it, or just pay the few dollars for Hulu Plus. So why would I want to pay another 40+ dollars a month so that it can be an independent feature where I can't skip ads or watch it whenever I want unless I record it earlier?

 

[DM Cross]

I didn't mean we'd keep TV the way it is just with smarter TVs.

I meant the TV would become more or less a computer with a really big screen. Eventually I see people paying for internet that plugs into their TV and they choose their shows from a listing that is made available by their service provider.

Better yet, just a TV that connects to the internet and you can go to Hulu/Netflix/etc. from there, log in and watch shows on your big smart tv that's really little more than a computer attached to a 51" LCD monitor.

So I think maybe I didn't express my idea in the best manner. Apologies.

 

[Varine]

I get what your saying, I did a bad job though (I took a lot of Vicodin and smoked weed, I'm pretty high). I would pay for the cable or satellite TV line if I didn't have to watch commercials, or had some limited advertising setup instead. The issue I see, is I can watch whatever shows I want, whenever I want, for free because I have Internet, and watch ads just the same. So I think they need to add some incentives like ad-free viewing or an ad at the start and end or something.

 

[KaerfNomekop]

I was thinking more along the lines of what cinemas do with movies - sit through all the ads and you get an extra-long period of ad-free viewing.

 

[tom_mai78101]

That is a much better idea, and it should be implemented as soon as possible.

 

[Varine]

I was thinking more along the lines of what cinemas do with movies - sit through all the ads and you get an extra-long period of ad-free viewing.

Why do they have ads on movie theaters again?

 

[tom_mai78101]

Why do they have ads on movie theaters again?

So that you can get some more sneak peeking trailers for future movies, to get some hype.

 

[Varine]

I think you basically just overdescribed advertising.

 

[tom_mai78101]

I think you basically just overdescribed advertising.

So you never get excited about upcoming Pixar movies?

 

[Varine]

I don't really go to the movies. I want to see Mama though. And I eagerly await Hellboy 3. I love Guillermo Del Toro. He's like a teddy bear.

 

[KaerfNomekop]

Why do they have ads on movie theaters again?

What tom said, and also to provide a little extra income for the theater.

I don't really go to the movies. I want to see Mama though. And I eagerly await Hellboy 3. I love Guillermo Del Toro. He's like a teddy bear.

Will you be going to see Pacific Rim, then?

 

[DM Cross]

I don't really consider previews to be ads. But nowadays they do actually commercial-style ads in movie theaters, before the previews even start.

 

[Varine]

What tom said, and also to provide a little extra income for the theater.

Will you be going to see Pacific Rim, then?

Haven't heard of it. I don't get out much.