Margins Check: NBC on iTunes, Internet radio, bendable batteries and more

Editor’s Note: Welcome to On the Margins, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week, the RCR Wireless News staff considers events in the wider business world and how they could affect the wireless industry.
–NBC Universal reported that it will not renew its contract to offer its primetime television shows, including “Heroes,” 30 Rock” and “The Office,” through Apple Inc.’s iTunes service. NBC currently accounts for 40% of video downloads through the iTunes service. Apple said the deal was not renewed because NBC wanted to increase the price of the downloads, while NBC said it wants more flexibility in packaging the content. Either way, the news shows increasing tension between content producers and distribution channels, a battle that could affect the nascent but growing mobile video space.
–Music industry group SoundExchange said it will cap per-channel fees for Internet radio companies. Companies offering more than 100 channels will pay no more than $50,000 per year. The deal was heralded by online streaming radio companies, including Pandora Media Inc., which offers its service through Sprint Nextel Corp., and should prove a bright spot for the nascent mobile radio market.
–Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute reported they have developed bendable batteries that could change the look and feel of mobile devices. The researchers noted that the battery is currently only a few inches square, but they expect to produce a product that can be manipulated into different shapes or trimmed with scissors. Such capabilities could allow device manufacturers greater flexibility in designing mobile devices, and perhaps foster greater adoption of mobile content that is easier to access.
–Sony Corp. announced plans to open its Walkman-branded MP3 players offered in Europe to non-DRM music. The move follows similar decisions by other leading digital music services including Apple’s iTunes, which has started offering non-DRM music for a price premium over their DRM-protected offerings. While the battle over DRM is still heated, the end-game appears far from over.