Media Guardian is reporting that Michael Grade is urging broadcasters to embrace the net, or face the sort of piracy issues that have been dogging the music industry.

When the net was new, radio and TV were quick to start using the net as another broadcast medium. Since then, interest seems to have waned amongst broadcasters, with relatively few using the net to broadcast on at all. I agree with Michael Grade, broadcasters and producers should embrace the net as a distribution medium. Whilst I feel that it will take a long time to sort out most rights issues and worries, broadcasting on the net should not be seen purely as another revenue generator, but simply as another re-distirbution network, like Cable is. The more channels embrace the net, and the more that producers embrace it, the less the chance for programme piracy. It makes sense in the long run.