Hi Friends, The BBC make a content deal with YouTube, owned by Google. Three YouTube channels - one for news and two for entertainment - will showcase short clips of BBC content. The BBC hopes that the deal will help it reach YouTube's monthly audience of more than 70 million users and drive extra traffic to its own website. U can find more details at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6411017.stm bye
I just heard this myself on the BBC News at One. Seems a sensible deal - the Beeb could do with as much coverage (and money) as they can get since the government refused their mammoth hike in TV tax!
Hmm, maybe this is an indication how it will be in the future for You Tube. I think the media companies have learnt the Napster lesson. You may win the battle, but lose the war.. if iTunes n iPod didn't happen, legal mp3s would have not appeared. Rather than go against YouTube, use it as a advertising / marketing tool
The biggest problem with the BBC striking an 'advertising' deal with Youtube aka google, is the fact british people pay the BBC a compulsory license fee that is supposed to be used to create content on the BBC and not to spend on 'gimmick advertising'. If the BBC are allowed to 'advertise' with revenue raised to create programmes, then how is the quality programmes going to be made and paid for? There is already enough repeats and duplicate channels, but the BBC are in a unique position as they know exactly how much revenue to expect each year and should be able to budget accurately. When the BBC get a huge hike revoked by the government they simply cut 100s or 1000s of jobs saying they need to become more efficient... surely tying up a deal with Google to 'advertise' on Youtube will not make them more efficient, but lead to new demands to again hike the TV License Fee. They can become more efficient without paying stupid 'bonus' payments to executives who barely do anything in the first place... maybe they like how Labour keep paying the deputy PM John Prescott for doing nothing and therefore they fee they should reward their executives in the same manner... by throwing money at them that is supposed to be used for the betterment of the TV programming.
Actually BBC hoping that this deal will help to get more than 70 million users of youtube and drives mass traffic to its own website.
Ganceann did you not read the article properly? This is purely for non UK viewers on youtube, they were also thinking of putting adverts on the BBC international website and not the UK version which I think is a good idea, we pay a license yet people from other country's don't so the BBC should use advertising so we don't have to pay for the world service out of our pockets.
I did read the article and this is directly from the article: Its the fact that the BBC have the nerve to request an increase in license fees when they are moving into a more commercial environment where they can raise advertising revenue... it is simply the fact they are hoping to have their cake and eat it at the expense of the license paying public. I am not against the BBC using advertising to raise cash, but definately against them using advertising to raise revenue AND then DEMAND the license fee should increase as well. Again from the article: They already do carry advertising in some outlets and therefore should not be able to request license fee increases to cover the costs of these 'experiments' at the expense of programming.
I think it's interesting that YouTube is being treated as "real" TV, with channels and whatnot. There is room for innovation and, sadly, YouTube is no longer meeting that demand.