CEO of Controversial New Internet TV Streaming Service is Newton Man

The broadcast television networks have their knickers in a twist — and a Newton man is to credit/blame.

Chet Kanojia is CEO of Aereo, which is variously described as:

[Allowing] subscribers to view live as well as time-shifted streams of over-the-air television on Internet-connected devices — Wikipedia

[Using] an array of antennas to pull broadcast signals for free out of the air… then allows online subscribers to watch those channels on any internet device they choose, plus use Aereo’s built-in DVR function as well — Radio Boston

An embattled Internet television streaming service — Mashable

Or, as Aereo's own website puts it: "Watch Real, Live TV on the Internet. Finally. With Aereo you can now watch live broadcast television online. No cable required."

Even to read those descriptions, you can sense business models cracking; no wonder Forbes magazine thumbnail-profiled CEO Kanojia as a "disruptor."

Aereo launched here in the Boston area on Wednesday, May 15, and will be available to everyone by the end of the month. Aereo until this week has been available only in New York.  

What does this mean for you as a viewer: that, if you sign up and pay, you can watch most of the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) from whatever device you want (laptop, mobile phone, tablet, etc.)

What does this mean for the broadcast networks: probably more efforts to sue and prevent Aereo from, they contend, wrongfully snagging the publicly broadcast signals without paying a licensing fee.

Aereo has won most of its legal battles so far. Read more here about the fight even beyond the courtroom.