The True Cost of Television

[TV iPod TiVO]
Engadget has an interesting look at the economics of "free"
television in the US with an eye to the (now mis-named)
iTunes Music Store, the iPod, TiVO and good ol' fashioned
American laziness.

To paraphrase: An episode of "Desperate Housewives" from
Apple will cost you $1.99. If you calculate the cost of a
30-second ad divided by the total number of viewers you
get 64 cents. Why the discrepancy? In short: Loss-leaders
and bundling (AKA "Must See TV").