John Gruber’s theory of what an iTV may actually look like: A Newsstand with TV apps, like ESPN or HBO, as channels. Brilliant idea.
Will TV networks work as hard as print media distributors have on iOS content? Given that print media needed saving, its easy to see why the iPad has done them service by providing a medium for “smarter” media. The cable industry, however, is mostly a monopoly of a few major providers — and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
I suspect the channels may also be intertwined with a Tivo-like app that stores all of your TV shows in a newsstand deal as well.