CBS has said that it has agreed to experiment with Apple in reducing the price of some of its shows on iTunes, cutting prices from $1.99 for most shows to 99 cents for some.

Les Moonves, chief executive of CBS Corp., said on a conference call with analysts last week that certain shows would sell for 99 cents, but he did not yet know which those will be. Those in the industry doubt the experiment will include newer episodes of top shows like NCIS, writes The New York Times.(via MediaBuyerPlanner).

Networks Still Hesitate

iTunes has been keen to reduce the prices of the shows it offers in order to boost TV show sales, but networks are wary that reduced pricing will lead to a devaluing of the product and that selling content at such prices will threaten their deals with affiliates and cable distributors, who may protest the availability of cheap content.

iTunes shows carry no advertising, unlike episodes of shows found online at network websites or sites like Hulu.

NBC, PBS Offer 99 Cent Shows

iTunes has been successful convincing some networks to at least experiment with the lower pricing model. Last week, some NBC recaps of Olympic events were available at 99 cents, as were episodes of PBS Kids shows Arthur, Martha Speaks and WordGirl.

The article says Apple is "desperate" to line up as much content as possible in advance of the launch of its tablet computer, the iPad. Because the iPad’s screen is much larger than that of an iPhone or iPod, it is a better medium for watching video.

The pricing experiment is a risky one for the networks, some believe. If the networks let consumers get used to the 99 cent price tag, there may be no going back, writes Daily Finance.

Apple Still Pushing for All-You-Can-Eat Subscription Service

Apple is also said to still be pushing for the TV subscription service that would allow users to pay $30 a month to access TV via iTunes. The service would not be tied to a new piece of software but would rather be tied to its existing iTunes software and store.