No Future in Broadband Video - Opinion

Broadband video may be all the rage in today's telecommunications arena, but Mark Cuban thinks the Internet is shooting airballs with regard to producing quality original programming.

The outspoken founder of 24-hour HD network HDNet and owner of the Dallas Mavericks National Basketball Association team said television will remain the dominant platform for the distribution of popular content, especially as technology such as HD becomes more prevalent in consumer homes. And that's despite the recent flood of cable and broadcast networks launching video-rich Web channels.

Speaking with reporters after HDNet's Television Critics Association presentation here Tuesday announcing the network's signing of former CBS News anchor Dan Rather to host a weekly news series, Cuban said that with thousands of Web sites competing for eyeballs, no content provider is going to spend the necessary dollars to create quality broadband-exclusive programming that has little chance of generating a significant financial return via advertising or sponsorships.