iTunes Store To Stop Selling NBC Television Shows because NBC wanted Apple to charge $5 per episode instead of the current price of $2, according to Apple's press release. NBC Universal includes The Office, Studio 60, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate Atlantis, and more big success stories for both iTunes and NBC. If it weren't for iTunes, The Office would not still be on the air today.

This is the same Universal that is also threatening to withdraw its entire catalog of music from iTunes if they don't get the right to raise prices. Universal is also refusing to participate in DRM-free music on iTunes—while simultaneously offering DRM-free music downloads on competing services. These guys are playing hardball.

I once said that if it weren't for children's programming, I could easily cancel my cable subscription and get every show I watch from iTunes, getting a higher quality experience (high quality, no ads) and spend less money. Unfortunately, most of those shows are NBC Universal offerings. I can always get NBC shows off the airwaves (even in HD) and TiVo them to my liking, and I can always wait a year to Netflix the DVD release. Or I can stop watching their shows, which is starting to look like the most cost-effective option.