Posted on Saturday 29 October 2011
Not content with offering an alternative to broadcast television and cable channels, the Web is starting to mimic its longtime brother-in-arms. YouTube is about to get a swarm of new channels filled with original programming. With some big-name celebrities attached for good measure.
Rumors Aplenty
Back in February of this year it was rumored that Google was seeking celebrities to front channels that would make up a new section on YouTube dedicated to original programming. $5 million per channel/celebrity was on offer to those willing to commit.
In April the rumors changed slightly, with a $100 million pool of money set aside to create content for 20 channels. These would be new vertical channels based around genres – art, sport, technology, etc. – and change the look and feel of YouTube.
It turns out neither set of rumors was spot on, but both combined got somewhere near the truth.


The MPA, Hollywood, and the entertainment industry as a whole have scored a victory of sorts over illegal file-sharing in the U.K. But it’s a plaster being used on a gaping wound, and a waste of both time and money in the longterm.

