Will Apple TV Service Be Launched by Christmas?

Despite facing difficulties with the media conglomerates that broadcast a large majority of television content, Apple may be pushing ahead with its plans to release a streaming television service by Christmas.

Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of internet software and services, has been leading talks with content providers for months reports the NY Post. The paper describes Apple's negotiating stance as this: We decide the price, we decide what content.

They want everything for nothing, another media executive reportedly told the Post. The stance is similar to one the company has taken in the past, such as when it took on the music publishing industry with iTunes.

Apple iTunes currently allows users to rent and download TV shows and movies, but the company is searching for a way to add a streaming service to that as well. The Post reports that Apple is pitching the idea of treating channels as apps for its devices, including the existing Apple TV set-top box.

It's unclear whether the TV apps would be sold in bulk--all the cable channels together--or whether each channel would be sold separately, on an a la carte basis.

They want to create the interface, and they wanted to work with the cable guys to manage bandwidth across the TV and broadband pipeline, another anonymous source told the Post, who is apparently familiar with the discussions happening behind closed doors.

Despite rumors about Apple releasing a full-blown TV set--and that Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. have it in their labs--the Post says its sources believe the company will bring a TV service to the market before releasing a device.

Apple is expected to unveil the newest version of Apple TV on March 7. Invitations that were sent out say, We have something you really have to see. And touch.

Apple is declining to comment on the matter.

Par for the course, for this company.