Up until recently, Microsoft’s Zune was reduced to promoting a Joy Division-themed music player, wrong on so many levels. Now here’s an AP story saying that NBC is going into business with Microsoft, and will allow its shows to be sold for use on the player. This is part of an announcment, due today, that other shows, from “South Park” to “Battlestar Galactica,” will be available for Zuneage as well.

Microsoft ventured into downloadable video sales for Zunes last October when it released its second-generation players and software, but the content was limited to music videos.

Starting Tuesday, Microsoft will sell episodes of TV shows including Comedy Central’s “South Park” and Sci-Fi Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica” for $1.99 each.

In a small victory over Apple, Microsoft said the Zune Marketplace will also carry NBC shows including “The Office” and “Heroes.” NBC Universal has said it pulled its shows from iTunes over Apple’s unwillingness to set different prices for TV shows.

The announcement is significant because Apple and NBC had a spat over pricing last year, resulting in NBC’s pulling its shows from the iTunes Store. It was a dumb move, because NBC shows tend to be a cut or two above normal network fare, and dovetail nicely with the Apple demographic.

In previous posts, we’ve seen how words like “flexibility” has been used in the coverage of this spat. Apple has a flat pricing plan—$1.99 for TV shows—and NBC wanted “flexibility,” we were told. What it really wanted was to “charge more money.” The AP:

Microsoft spokesman Jason Reindorp said flexible pricing is within the scope of its agreement with NBC, but that there are no concrete plans.

Why doesn’t the story say the truth, which is “Microsoft will let NBC charge more than Apple for its shows on the Zune?”

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Previously:

The NBC vs. Apple war continues
“Flexibility” raises its ugly head again
When prices get “attractive”
Apple vs. NBC: The pissing match continues