ABC Makes Four TV Shows Available Free on Web

NEW YORK/ATLANTA (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co.’s ABC television network will offer some of its most popular shows, such as “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost,” for free on the Web in a service supported by advertising, the company said on Monday.

U.S. media companies have been experimenting with ways to deliver programs through new technologies while maintaining revenue as viewership for prime-time television schedules slowly erodes.

But ABC’s venture, which starts as a two-month trial in May, goes a step further, potentially bypassing cable operators by bringing top shows straight to the consumer, analysts said.