http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/22/business/aereo-files-for-bankruptcy.html 2014-11-21 14:56:11 Aereo Files for Bankruptcy The streaming television start-up said it was unable to recover from a Supreme Court decision that essentially barred its business model. === Aereo, the streaming television start-up, said Friday that it had filed for bankruptcy protection. The announcement came about five months after the Chet Kanojia, the company’s chief executive, said the court decision was too difficult to overcome and led to an uncertain legal and regulatory environment. “While our team has focused its energies on exploring every path forward available to us, without that clarity, those challenges have limited our options,” he said in a statement. The case had been sent back to lower courts, and Aereo spent the last several months fighting for an approach that would have allowed it to continue operations. Aereo said on Friday that bankruptcy protection would allow it to “maximize the value of its business and assets” without the costs and distractions of litigation. The company also appointed Lawton Bloom of Argus as chief restructuring officer. Aereo suspended its service in June Aereo threatened to upend the economics of the television industry. Broadcasters feared that a victory for the start-up would have undercut the billions of dollars they received from cable and satellite companies in retransmission fees. Broadcasters argued that Aereo’s business model violated copyright laws and was a high-tech way to steal their programs. Aereo argued that its service was a digital solution for watching free over-the-air broadcasting. Since the summer, some broadcasters have pushed forward with plans that would allow viewers to stream their programs over the web live and on demand. CBS, for instance, announced a subscription steaming service last month. “We have traveled a long and challenging road,” Mr. Kanojia said. “We stayed true to our mission and we believe that we have played a significant part in pushing the conversation forward, helping force positive change in the industry for consumers.” Aereo appeared to have a sense of humor about its ultimate demise. In a