Apple's going to launch a TV service this fall that could kill cable

Apple is reportedly in working on a plan to launch its own TV service.

A Wall Street Journal report suggests Apple, which already lets users watch television and Netflix shows through its Apple TV device, is working with programmers "to offer a slimmed-down bundle of TV networks this fall."

The Journal cites sources familiar with the talks who say Apple's subscription service may provide "about 25 channels, anchored by broadcasters such as ABC, CBS and Fox, and would be available on Apple devices such as the Apple TV."

The as-yet-unannounced service would cost $30 to $40 dollars per month, according to WSJ.

Various rumors and speculation about Apple's intention to disrupt television have been circulating for a while, but the tech company's plans have so far been vague, and somewhat noncommittal.

There has been talk in recent years that Apple might develop its own television hardware, and when that simmered down, the conversation returned to the possibility that Apple might offer precisely the type of streaming service that's apparently being negotiated now.

What is clear, however is that Apple wants to cater to customers who are giving up on expensive traditional cable subscriptions. That industry has been ripe for disruption for some time now, especially as other platforms like Netflix and Amazon build ever-stronger programming that is finally nipping at the heels of legacy media.