TV networks may form anti-YouTube cabal

Four major TV networks are considering creating a jointly owned Web site to offer their programming online rather than have to chase down pirated clips on YouTube, a source close to the talks confirmed Monday.

Fox, Viacom, CBS and NBC Universal have been in talks over the last few months, according to the source, who asked to remain anonymous. "We are approaching it seriously," the source said. "They are ongoing and preliminary discussions... Everybody wants to figure out the right (online business) model."

Spokespeople from the four networks either did not return calls seeking comment or declined to comment on the talks, which were first reported Saturday by The Wall Street Journal.

The talks deal with complicated matters for the networks--how to put programming on the Internet without cannibalizing TV efforts; how to do that quickly enough to prevent YouTube from profiting; and how to avoid ceding control or branding to partners. ABC parent Walt Disney is not participating in the talks, preferring to go it alone, while the group snubbed a proposal from News Corp., which also owns Fox, to use its MySpace social-networking site as the host of the video, the source said.

NBC, owned by General Electric, struck a deal with Google's popular YouTube in June that allows the video sharing site to host promotional video clips of some NBC shows and CBS inked its own deal with YouTube in October.

[ServedUp]

Not going to happen.

The delegating issues between each company alone is one major
hurdle. They have an awful lot of work ahead of them.

Personally I'd rather not see any Big TV Networks on the internet.
I'd rather see startup internet companies struggle, grow and
become successful like Google, YouTube and MySpace have.

Why?

Although, I'm not Americain. It does reinforce the Americain
dream. It was a good principle once, and still has some
redeeming qualities.

(I actually can't believe I just wrote that, but i'm going to stick
with it.)

But if big TV Corporations manage to get their hook in a big
chunk of internet mindshare to the growing population of its
users, I believe the content will suffer most.

I mean ever see whats on Americain Television these days.
Just Garbage!

[i_made_this]

ServedUp, not to worry...

...the Big TV Networks will screw it up and don't stand a chance against Google.

ABC knows it better than anyone which is why they're not joining this inane intiative.

NewsCorp also knows it and has done nothing but screw up the management of their valuable property MySpace, which is why they want to sell it to Google. Last I heard, Schmidt expressed mild interest but advised Murdoch that his asking price was too rich for GOOG's taste. Schmidt is right - they'd have somuch to clean up on mySpace that their recent cleanup of YouTube since purchase was a snap in comparison.

[dysonl]

Garbage

"I mean ever see whats on Americain Television these days. Just Garbage!"

Have you been to youtube lately? Lots of garbage too. In fact, most non-copyrighted materials on the site are garbage.

[heystoopid]

Oh well

Oh well, the ghost of Sonny Bono, will have to be placated first!

[MichaelChessman]

Youtube is a lousy place to be

It is the height of folly for news networks to rely on this place for delivery and sharing of clips. All should have their own servers or a securely shared facility. Youtube relies mainly on pirated content and are inane with a shoot and kill mentality to destroy hours and hours of painstakingly created video content that many others have linked to on shoddy preferences for different views than legitimately expressed ones, using excuses such as that a video may have been too risque in the hundreds that were deleted which were unrelated to the objection from a subsequent viewer. Most of the other clips in addition for that matter had A+ news and editorial content in addition to valuable arts programming. All gone in an instant cause a youtube retard just chose to shoot rather than ask questions. A couple of young upstarts started the joint and thats how its run. Dont be fooled by the nice menu screens. that isnt who pushes the buttons there. Just a couple of geeks playing hitler.