Chernin: Apple should prepare for battle

CAMBRIDGE, England, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Apple executives should expect a battle when negotiating with News Corp., the media company's chief operating officer said in Britain this week.

During his appearance at the Royal Television Society's biannual convention this week, News Corp. COO Peter Chernin said he assumes negotiations between the two power-house companies regarding Apple's iTunes would be "prickly, dicey and contentious like all negotiations should be," The Hollywood Reporter said Saturday.

"People will try to exercise all the leverage they can," Chernin said.

News Corp. is meeting with Apple to discuss whether it will continue to offer its entertainment wares on Apple's iTunes digital music store.

The Reporter said that while NBC Universal recently ended its deal with Apple regarding such online services, Chernin downplayed his company's investment in such sales.

"We have a pretty limited relationship with them," he said. "They sell some of our TV shows, but they don't license our movies."