YouTube Sees the Tube Light at Last...Maybe? - Simon Applebaum - MediaBizBloggers

Until last Tuesday, YouTube was the best video-on-demand service for TV not widely available on TV.

That's right, we're talking YouTube, Google's Web destination for the greatest assortment of videos assembled in one place for modern society to catch and enjoy. All sorts of user-generated content able to make global water-cooler conversations within hours of posting. Unique, often bold independently-produced videos. A wonderful library of classic TV series episodes from the 1950s and 60s, which would make a terrific VOD channel by itself. Top it off with projects than expand what both the TV and Internet medium can accomplish, such as the celebrated--and especially-created--YT Symphony Orchestra, and wallah, YouTube.

There's no cable, satellite or overbuild operator I know that would decline the opportunity to feature YouTube on VOD. It's an Internet brand giant, viewed by millions daily, and likely would turn on-demand TV on its ear if the majority of operators offered it. Google, already making zillions off its search ability alone, likely would make zillions more if they marketed YouTube as a TV service. With YouTube plentiful on TV, you might reduce all the public speculation of customers' cord-cutting their local multi-channel provider to a peep. If YouTube isn't a powerful argument for staying connected, beats me what is.

Yet until last Tuesday, YouTube's TV availability was confined to TiVo digital video recorders, and in public, YT executives repeatedly claimed VOD TV was nowhere on their radar screen. That changed last Tuesday morning, when Verizon's FiOS TV introduced YouTube to its universe of more than three million customers. Those people now have the capability to select the YT videos they want, when they want it, via their remote control. User-generated and professional content providers alike, in one shot, now have another way to reach a quick mass audience. FiOS now has another avenue for ad sales and promotion. No wonder FiOS executives were so effusive in their press release remarks about the deal Tuesday.

The only people not talking this development up then, or since, is YouTube's executive team. Makes you wonder what frame of mind they were in when this arrangement was concluded. Hey, three million-plus homes able to view YT content anytime on their terms, is quite considerable.

If you could muster the ability to read inside the craniums of people, you hope YouTube gets how valuable this FiOS situation can be, and how much more revenue can be theirs if similar deals with Comcast, Time Warner Cable, U-verse and the DirecTV/Dish satellite duo come through in the near future. Be sure if Comcast etc. hear FiOS subscribers work their remotes for YouTube VOD, they will be calling for affiliations in an eyeflash.

What say you now, YouTube?

A few observations from the passing parade:
***Few network TV executives know how to work an Upfront audience better than Louis Carr, BET's ad sales leader, and Marc Juris, TruTV's executive vice-president and general manager. At their respective Upfront events last month, Carr spoke sharp and showed some nice interviewing skills, while Juris had the crowd in stitches with his often edgy remarks. Can someone at BET and TruTV develop weekly TV series for this pair? If it works for Bravo executive Andrew Cohen, it can work for this dynamic duo.

***Speaking of TruTV, three series premiering this fall show exciting promise, judging from crowd reaction: Rogue Society,Disclosure and America's Toughest Boss. The latter features Willie Degel, mastermind of New York cuisine landmark Uncle Jack's Steakhouse.

He is one force of nature, so the preview tape showcases. My questions: would he do Undercover Boss if CBS came knocking? Wouldn't you like to be a fly-on-the-wall for that encounter?

***We first alerted you to those 1-877-Kars-4-Kids charity radio messages playing in New York and elsewhere last August in this column. These ads continue to run on stations like sports talker WFAN-AM here in NY, despite nothing about what the charity is about and how donating cars will impact these kids. For your information, Kars-4-Kids is a non-profit charity supporting summer camps, afterschool programs and other activities for Jewish youth. A commendable situation, so let's ask again: why are radio stations approving these spots when they lack basic info about what this charity does? Why does this charity keep these messages as is? And where is the Better Business Bureau in all this? Love to get some answers and showcase them in this space.

Until the next time, stay well and stay tuned! Simon Applebaum is host/producer of Tomorrow Will Be Televised, the Internet-distributed radio program covering the TV scene. The program runs live Mondays/Fridays at 3 p.m. Eastern time; noon, Pacific time on BlogTalk Radio, with replays available 24/7 at www.blogtalkradio.com/simonapple04 Tomorrow is also distributed on podcast through www.ITunes.com; www.zune.net, and 15 other Web download sites arranged by Sonibyte. Have a question or comment? Direct it to simonapple04@yahoo.com.

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