iTunes Multi-Pass 'Subscriptions' for TV Shows

Thanks to a partnership between iTunes and Viacom Inc.'s Comedy Central Network, Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes online music and video store has launched a new service called Multi-Pass that lets users buy downloads of television shows like "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report". Fans will be able to buy the next month's series of 16 new episodes via Multi-Pass for $9.99, or to pay $1.99 per episode.

What makes it different from other online music subscription services like Napster or Real Networks' Rhapsody, is that consumers will not lose their music if they unsubscribe.