Apple is understood to be planning to cut the price of TV show downloads from its US iTunes store to 99 cents, bringing them into line with music track prices.

Currently, most TV episodes available on iTunes US are priced at $1.99. Variety reports that Apple's price cut proposal is proving deeply unpopular with networks and studios, who do not subscribe to Apple's position that any price cut impact would be negated by increased sales volumes.

It is understood that the major networks and studios are concerned that a 99 cent price point would severely impact the sales of DVD box sets. For example, season one of 30 Rock was released on Tuesday in a 3-disc DVD box set at $49.98; making the season's 21 episodes available for 99 cents each would see iTunes significantly undercut the DVD retail price.