Citizen Journalists

There was a time when news coverage was strictly professional, delivered by paid reporters, photographers, and cameramen. And then everything changed with digital cameras and video cameras standard on cellphones.

Now, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be a citizen journalist, reporting the news as it happens in front of them. Twitter and social networks are an important facet of this trend, as is online video and in particular YouTube.

YouTube Direct

Google has this week unveiled YouTube Direct, which is designed to be a meeting place for citizen journalists and the news media organizations increasingly using this amateur footage as the basis, or to embellish, news stories.

YouTube Direct is an API tweak that allows news organizations to set up a virtual assignment desk. Requests for video can be placed on the site, and citizen journalists who want to see their footage reach a bigger audience can respond.

At that point, editors from the news organization can vet the videos sent in and pick the ones most suitable. The Washington Post, ABC News, Huffington Post, Politico, the San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR are already testing out the product.

Conclusions

This is good news for Google as it helps smooth over the search giant’s relationship with the news media. It’s also good news for the news media organizations as they get access to up-to-date amateur footage which won’t cost them a penny.

However, I can’t quite see what’s in it for the citizen journalists themselves. Apart from the five minutes of fame achieved by their video footage being picked up by major news channel or Web site, there’s little reason to participate in this.

[Via TechNewsWorld]

BBC iPlayer

The BBC iPlayer has shone like a beacon since its full launch almost two years ago in December 2007. The catch-up TV service lead the way not only in the U.K. but around the world, with Hulu being its big-name opposite in the U.S.

Rather than rest on its laurels, the BBC carried on improving the service despite already providing millions of streams to viewers. The current iteration of the iPlayer service is more user-friendly and easy-to-use than any Web application or online video site.

RTS Judges’ Award

Last week saw the iPlayer praised to the highest degree when the BBC won the Judges’ Award at the 2009 Royal Television Society Innovation Awards. Jeff Henry, chair of the awards, said:

“There have been great British innovations – the steam engine, the gas turbine, radio waves, jet engines and arguably video games. Even the inventors of Viagra. But seriously, the role of honour of great British innovation now has a proud new addition,”

“For all the hard work, commitment and belief shown by the BBC and its staff, with particular recognition of Anthony Rose’s contribution, the RTS Innovation Awards proudly presents the Judges Award to the BBC iPlayer, proving that it is not just a gift for Christmas, but for life.”

Being placed alongside such great inventions as the steam engine and radio waves is pretty unbelievable. But the iPlayer may well prove to be as innovative and important as those inventions in years to come for what it represents – a world where online television is the norm rather than niche.

IPlayer Wii Channel

The BBC topped off an already great week by unveiling its plans to launch a dedicated channel on the Nintendo Wii games console. The service has been available on the console for a while through the Web browser, but a dedicated channel should be much more accessible and user-friendly.

All Wii owners in the U.K. with a Broadband connection will be able to use the Wii iPlayer. From Nov. 18, the BBC iPlayer can be downloaded for free from the console’s online shop.

Conclusions

The iPlayer is a fantastic service that continues to improve and be added to more devices in order to gain viewers. And the RTS award for innovation is wholly deserved.

The only thing that the BBC now needs to do is launch the iPlayer internationally. Whether that’ll ever happen, and whether if it did it would be free, are questions that I personally cannot answer. But I can hope.

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Fred Who?

Fred Figglehorn first came to my attention early in 2008 when his YouTube channel started gaining fans faster than most teen pop stars manage.

In June, I covered Fred’s story, which in actual fact is Lucas Cruikshank’s story, as he’s the kid who created and plays the character in numerous YouTube videos.

In short, Fred is the six-year-old alter-ego of a 14-year-old kid from Nebraska. His charms are talking in a squeaky voice, mugging to camera, and ranting and raving in a way most six-year-olds are incapable of. At least the ones I’ve met.

From YouTube To Hollywood

Bizarrely, although the plot of most Fred episodes, which are usually nothing more than three-minute pieces to camera by the fake tween, is shallow to say the least, Fred (and Lucas Cruikshank) has built up a huge following.

Fred was created in 2006 and reached his peak earlier this year when he hit 1.4 million subscribers. However, Nigahiga has now overtaken Fred as the most subscribed YouTube channel.

Not to worry, as Fred has bigger fish to fry.

Fred: The Movie

September saw TubeFilter News report that Fred was moving to Hollywood, with a movie version of the online video character on the way. Lucas Cruikshank will be starring as the titular Fred, with other recurring characters such as Judy, Bertha, and Kevin currently being cast.

The latest rumor suggests the filmmakers are looking for a well-known actor to play a cameo as Fred’s father. And would certainly lend some weight to a project that the prospect of has probably scared as many people as it has delighted.

Filming on Fred: The Movie (working title) is set to begin on November 20, with Fred chasing his would-be girlfriend Judy across the States in what sounds like a road movie of sorts.

Viral Video Stars

Lucas Cruikshank is already reported to be making a six-figure salary from playing Fred. And he’s now set to star in a movie based on the character he lovingly crafted and has nurtured for the last three years.

No wonder more people than ever before are trying to create a viral video hit and become famous off the back of it. What was once merely a hobby for light entertainment is well on its way to becoming big business. And I can’t see where the story will end.

Torrent Sites

What are torrent sites used for? Many of you would have answered that it’s pretty much all pirated content being shared via torrents. And while there is a lot of copyrighted material being shared illegally on them, there is also much that is legal and copyright-free.

There are very few companies and organizations who have taken advantage of the technology as a way to distribute content thus far. But VODO is one of these, allowing and encouraging filmmakers to use torrent sites to seed their features and get them out there being watched.

NRK and Blank

In January 2008 we looked at how the Norwegian broadcaster NRK was utilizing torrent sites to distribute a show called Nordkalotten 365. The experiment worked, with multi-platform distribution making the show a success outside of its native Norway.

Earlier this year we saw filmmaker Rick L. Winters and his company Annodam Productions choose to distribute Blank via torrent sites at the same time as releasing it on DVD. Donations were asked for but not mandatory.

VODO

VODO, a British organization which endeavors to help budding content creators find an audience, is taking a similar approach. It releases features on torrent sites such as Mininova, The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, Miro, and Vuze and lets the rest fall into place.

VODO requests a donation (VODO stands or VOluntary DOnations) if you download a feature from a torrent site. There’s also the option to subscribe to the site itself in order to gain access to more films and fund new projects which will end up being made available for free on torrent sites.

VODO’s founder is Jamie King, who enjoys a certain amount of notoriety for his pro-piracy Steal This Film documentaries. Us Now and In Guantanamo are the two features currently being promoted via torrent sites.

Conclusions

This kind of effort isn’t going to either interest or affect Hollywood but independent filmmakers are a whole other kettle of fish. And VODO, along with NRK, Annodam, and the like are proving that torrent sites aren’t the bid, bad wolves they’ve been painted as.

Tech Dirt said it best with its reason for why VODO is such a good idea, suggesting it’s because it helps “filmmakers who recognize that obscurity is a much bigger threat to their efforts than piracy.”

[Via NewTeeVee]

Live Success

YouTube is no stranger to live streaming, having experimented with the method of broadcasting a few times since being acquired by Google. However, Sunday night’s U2 concert was a hit like the site has never experienced before.

When competing with the bread and butter of YouTube – the viral videos generated by users – the U2 concert was a relative failure, but gaining such a large audience for an event such as this is nothing short of spectacular.

Handling Difficulties

The challenges facing YouTube and its partners were huge for this event, with negotiating the rights from all parties and the actual technical difficulties needed to be overcome needing to be managed inordinately well.

Thankfully, YouTube pulled it off, thanks in no small part to Akamai, the content delivery network which handled at least some of the load this type of high-profile event would have generated.

Viewing Figures

Initial reports suggested the viewing figures were under a million. This was then upped to 2.5 million. But Variety is reporting that the U2 concert on YouTube managed to attract 10 million viewers.

As MediaMemo points out, these figures mean the concert wouldn’t make the Top 20 highest-rated TV shows in the United States, with The Mentalist sneaking in with 11.8 million viewers. And the U2 gig was available in 16 countries.

But I still count it as a huge achievement.

Conclusions

Foo Fighters have now announced they will be playing a set from their studio which will be streamed live on Facebook. And I’m guessing this trend will continue, especially once groups and record labels realize how much potential for publicity there is.

With Vevo launching soon, and Muzu.tv and MySpace Music Videos already with us, there are no shortage of places for live streaming concerts to take place. Whether they become a regular occurrence or not all depends on everyone involved getting enough out of it to persuade them to do it again.

The full concert is now available to watch at YouTube.com/U2.

Free Hulu

Hulu is currently the free home of premium online video content in the United States. The fact it’s only available in the U.S. is annoying for those of us outside the country but there is at least hope of an international roll-out to come.

The problem is that it doesn’t look as though Hulu will be completely free for much longer. In fact, if the people in charge have their way, which they undoubtedly will seeing as they are indeed in charge, Hulu could be charging by 2010, which is just over two months away.

Hulu To Charge?

There has been speculation about this move occurring for several months but it all came to a head during September. First, News Corps. chairman Rupert Murdoch suggested a paid Hulu was being looked at. And NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker backed him up.

Then a few days later it was suggested that Hulu was already running an internal beta test of how the system could work. No details were forthcoming but the process seemed to already be in motion.

Chase Carey Speaks

And now comes word from News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey who, according to Broadcasting & Cable, opened the OnScreen Summit with his views on the matter.

He said:

“It’s time to start getting paid for broadcast content online. I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business.”

When questioned on a possible timeline Hulu to start charging, he stated that while one wasn’t yet in place, that he fully expected it to occur during 2010.

How Bad Will It Be?

What Carey isn’t saying is Hulu will disappear behind a paywall. In fact, he’s dead set against that idea. But it’s clear that everyone involved with Hulu is now looking at how to bring in more dollars than what they are already getting from advertising.

Whether Hulu users end up being asked to pay for specially-created content or whether certain sections of content will be hidden behind paywalls isn’t yet clear. But I’d suggest the fact that Hulu users will end up being asked to pay for content is now set in stone. Unfortunately.

Kangaroo To Arqiva

When Project Kangaroo was killed at birth, there was little that the BBC and its partners could do but sell off the assets. This included the technology, infrastructure, and branding.

A buyer was found in the shape of Arqiva, a company which owns and operates the network for terrestrial TV and radio, as well as licenses for two of the six digital TV multiplexes. It hasn’t any experience in delivering online video however.

Bennie Talks SeeSaw

Arqiva has confirmed the name for its VOD service is to be SeeSaw. And not Kangaroo 2.0 as some commentators had snarkily suggested. The company hopes to launch SeeSaw in the next few months and is hopeful it will be a resounding success.

Tom Bennie, the CEO of Arqiva, recently told The Guardian:

“I think it’ll be a really missed opportunity for Arqiva if this doesn’t work. But it won’t break the company.”

He also spoke about where SeeSaw would be positioned and how it will cope under pressure from the likes of Hulu, which is expecting (and expected) to launch a UK-based service in the near future. He said:

“We certainly think that having a UK-centric proposition is an important piece in the market, and actually enhances competition rather than reduces it because we want to be inclusive not exclusive. We clearly want to get US and other content on to the platform as well as UK content.”

“We certainly don’t think we’ll be the only proposition launching. I don’t think half a dozen will survive in the long term, but I think there’s room for two or three.”

Content Is King

Bennie talks a good fight but the reality is that the UK is rapidly becoming a hotbed for online video services, all competing for the same content partners and viewers. Whether the untested Arqiva can overcome the might of the experienced Hulu isn’t clear.

As always, the fight will come down to content.

SeeSaw is already thought to have agreements in place to carry content from BBC Worldwide and Channel 4. But the BBC already has the iPlayer and provides archive content on MSN Video. While Channel 4 has recently signed a deal with YouTube.

Hulu has all but given up on this year, pushing the launch of Hulu UK back until 2010. Again, content seems to be the issue, with deals with ITV, Channel 4 (which gets everywhere) and BBC Worldwide imminent but not confirmed.

Conclusions

There are too many services competing for too little content right now. And that means some are clearly going to fall by the wayside. SeeSaw actually looks to be a good position right now, with at least some content promised for launch, and the infrastructure already in place.

It should make for an interesting launch but the longterm chances of success will depend on more content from both sides of the pond that, crucially, people actually want to watch. And that’s not yet guaranteed.

YouTube and Channel 4

YouTube has for a while now been moving away from user-generated content and trying to entice broadcasters into providing content via the site. It’s had mixed success but it has now nabbed a major broadcaster in the form of Channel 4.

Channel 4 was the first UK broadcaster to launch a video on demand service, doing so in 2006. But 4oD failed to get the attention it deserved and the BBC iPlayer snatched the limelight instead. 4oD has gone through some major changes since then and now rivals the iPlayer for user experience.

Deal or No Deal

However, Channel 4 is keen to have its programming reach a wider online audience, and so has teamed up with YouTube. A three-year deal between the two should do just that, and provide revenue as well.

For its part YouTube will gain full-length TV shows and also take a cut of the revenue. Although the financial terms of the deal have not been made public, YouTube is expected to take a 30 percent cut of all revenue generated by the Channel 4 programming.

4oD And…

4oD will continue to provide the premium catch-up service it does currently, but YouTube will gain 50 hours of current programming soon after it airs on Channel 4 as well as around 3,000 hours of archived programming.

This includes shows such as Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, Brass Eye, Skins, Teachers, Peep Show, and the Derren Brown Specials which recently had everyone in the UK talking.

Channel 4 Speaks

Channel 4 said:

“Channel 4 was the first broadcaster anywhere in the world to make all its commissioned content available online and we’ve consistently pioneered in this field. This strategic partnership is another important milestone for us and we’re delighted to be combining the power of the ‘4’ brand and the appeal of our content with YouTube’s unrivaled reach and reputation online.”

“Making our programmes directly accessible to YouTube’s 20 million UK users will financially benefit both Channel 4 and our independent production partners and help bolster our investment in quality British content. It demonstrates our ability to strike dynamic commercial partnerships to help underpin our future as a commercially funded, not-for-profit multi-platform public service network.”

Conclusions

Unfortunately, this deal only applies in the UK. And although there are 20 million YouTube users in the UK it would have been nice to see the rest of the world welcomed to the party. Those international rights licensing agreements have got in the way yet again.

But in every other way this seems a great deal. Both Channel 4 and YouTube gain from it, and the real winners are viewers who now get to watch premium quality programming online, on demand, and for free.

Kangaroo To Canvas

First came Project Kangaroo, a joint online video on demand venture from the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4. Things were going well until BSkyB and Virgin Media, the providers of satellite and cable television in the U.K. complained about the proposals. This lead to the Competition Commission killing the project.

So the BBC regrouped and began work on Project Canvas alongside partners ITV and Five. Canvas is an effort to develop a new open standard for online video which could be used by all who wanted to do so. New set-top boxes would be released to enable people to watch a range of television programs over the Internet.

But BSkyB, run by the irrepressible Rupert Murdoch, isn’t happy. Again.

Sky Complains Again

BSkyB has now made two formal submissions to the BBC Trust, which governs the inner workings of the BBC, requesting additional information about the Canvas plans and criticizing the way the BBC is going about things.

The broadcaster’s main objection is the fact that the BBC is publicly funded and using that money to create an IPTV platform that may not even necessarily wanted by members of the general public. According to Digital Spy, the report reads:

“In its unique, privileged position in receipt of substantial guaranteed public funding, the BBC is also required to adopt the least intrusive, proportionate means of fulfilling its core purpose, and to minimize any distortions of competition that might arise from the commercial deployment of its public funding.”

Pay TV Fears

Sky’s fears over Project Canvas may be warranted because any new project such as this is bound to impact on the pay TV network’s business. But assuming the BBC Trust rejects the complaints and gives Canvas the go ahead there seems little Sky can do about the future direction of the project.

The BBC is helped by the fact it has partnered with commercial partners, so even though public money is being used to develop Canvas, it isn’t the be all and end all.

Sky News Online

Meanwhile, Sky has done the unthinkable and made Sky News free to watch for all online. Previously, Sky subscribers would have to sign into the site to watch the 24 hour news channel, but now anyone (in the U.K.) can view it on the Web.

This is interesting because Rupert Murdoch has made clear in recent months his views on free content on the Web. Not only is he slowly putting selected content of his newspapers behind online pay walls, he’s spoken about his desire to see Hulu become a partly paid for service.

Is this a blip or is he softening in his old age?

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And if so, what does that mean for third-party apps such as Twiddeo, Tweetube and 12seconds which already offer similar off-site services?

Tweeting It Simple

Twitter is growing in popularity and influence all the time. What started out as a small, niche social networking site is catching up with the likes of Facebook and MySpace.

Part of its appeal is the lack of anything complicated or messy clogging up the site. Twitter sticks to the 140-characters or less tweets while letting developers use the API to expand the service outwards.

API Goodness

This means that external sites such as Twitpic have built strong brands and businesses on the back of Twitter. The API has also enticed online video companies to try to integrate with Twitter.

The likes of Twiddeo and Tweetube offer users the chance to record and post a short video message on the site. A text link to the clip will then appear as a tweet on the user’s Twitter page.

Twitter Video Tweets?

The Telegraph today published an article claiming that Twitter was considering introducing the ability for users to post live video tweets. These wouldn’t be through a third party, rather they’d be short video clips embedded directly into people’s Twitter streams.

The newspaper claims Twitter was looking at the option in order to “help boost its prominence as a fashionable social-networking tool again.” Although I’m not convinced it really needs to do anything of the sort as it’s still growing at an astonishing rate.

Twitter Says No

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has already debunked the rumor, telling Mashable:

“Haven’t read the piece but no video hosting. 140 characters of text including spaces. You know the drill!”

A Good Decision

And it’s a good thing that it looks as though Twitter isn’t planning on doing this. Although part of me thinks it would be rather cool to have video clips sprinkled all over Twitter, it would effectively curtail the efforts of the developers who have worked hard to provide such apps through the API program.

And then there is 12seconds.tv, a site I covered at the start of the year. This does away with Twitter altogether and is a self-contained messaging site where anyone can post a 12 seconds or less long video clip.

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