Oh, Snap!

Introduction to Broadcast Network Television
Broadcast network television refers to the four giant broadcast networks of NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX, the smaller network of The CW as well as the publicly-funded PBS. All of these networks own and operate television stations around the country directly or, in most cases, affiliate with them by means of network programming. Network programming typically includes scripted shows, daytime and late-night talk shows, along with national newscasts. Broadcast network television’s roots lie in the early days of radio broadcasting. Employed by Radio Corporation of America (RCA), a man by the name of David Sarnoff established America’s first lasting radio network in 1926. Calling the network the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), Sarnoff divided the radio network into the “Red” network and the “Blue” network. One year later, a competitor by the name of William S. Paley answered with a radio network of his own and named it the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). At the 1939 New York World’s Fair, Sarnoff and RCA conducted a public demonstration of its latest technological development: television. In the post-World Ward II 1940s, NBC and CBS began expanding into television and would eventually sell most if not all of their radio assets off. About that same time, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that NBC must sell off one of its networks in the interest of competition in the free market. Sarnoff sold the “Blue” network to Ed Nobles (whose candy company produced the iconic Life Saver) who renamed it American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch debuted the FOX Broadcasting Company in 1987. The smaller broadcast network known as The CW is actually a 2006 merger between two previous networks: The WB (Warner Brothers) and UPN (United Paramount Network). In 1967, Congress passed the Public Broadcasting Act which formed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). CPB’s main purpose was to fund the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) which was created in 1969. PBS serves as a manager of network intercommunication between its stations.

Description of YouTube
Headquartered in San Bruno, California, YouTube, LLC is an online video forum where users may upload and share original content-produced videos among each other. Founded in February of 2005, Sequoia Capital began funding the social media application in November of that year. YouTube officially launched one month later with Chad Hurley and Steve Chen as the first two members of its management team. Currently, Hurley serves as YouTube’s Chief Executive Officer and Chen serves as its Chief Technology Officer. Exactly one year after Sequoia initiated its funding, Internet search engine behemoth Google purchased the company.

The central idea behind YouTube is that “You,” as in the user, are the broadcaster. Users may create accounts to where they may upload their own videos as well as mark their favorite videos among the thousands on the site. Users can also subscribe to and receive subscriptions from other users to show their support. Many would-be musicians and amateur filmmakers have utilized YouTube as a tool for self-promotion. In addition to individual use, YouTube has as of late partnered with many content providers among which include broadcast television networks such as CBS.

CBS and Youtube
On October 9, 2006, CBS and YouTube officially announced through a press release that the two companies had formed a partnership in content and advertising. CBS also created its own channel on the online video website. According to the press release, CBS would share short portions of original programming in news, sports, and entertainment from its properties including CBS Television Network, Showtime Network, and CSTV Network on its channel with YouTube. In return, CBS would receive a share in the advertising revenue generated from online sponsors near its content. This deal with YouTube will also allow CBS to “connect and engage with viewers.” YouTube CEO Chad Hurley commented that the agreement with CBS showed his company’s new role as a “revenue-generating distribution channel for major networks and other media companies” by which they “can now have a two-way dialogue with viewers who can provide feedback about what they find entertaining.”

In just one month after the debut of their new YouTube channel, Pete Cashmore of Mashable reports that CBS’ numbers illustrate the usefulness of the partnership. According to Cashmore, CBS announced that “The Late Show With David Letterman” improved 5% in ratings while “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” jumped 7% in the ratings all after viewers watched clips of the programs on YouTube. Cashmore points out, “It’s also worth noting that YouTube takes that content to millions of viewers outside the U.S. who can’t access CBS normally.”

Two years after the initial CBS and YouTube partnership, The Huffington Post announced that CBS had agreed to air entire episodes of scripted shows on YouTube. CBS began with some of its classics, such as “MacGyver,” “Star Trek,” and the original “Beverly Hills 90210.” CBS would also supply current episodes of its daytime soap opera “The Young And The Restless” along with the season premiers of new shows on Showtime such as “Dexter” and “Californication.” The Post explained that for the past year YouTube had “dabbled in full-length TV content with documentary films and premieres for Showtime and HBO shows.” While the success of this experimentation partly motivated YouTube to seek out this new arrangement with CBS, Jordan Hoffner, the director of content partnerships, elaborated “that other sites such as Hulu, a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp., and ABC.com had proved that there is a market for this kind of online video.” The Post explained that the content would be supported by advertising sold by CBS and of which YouTube will receive a share of the revenue from.

On April 16, 2009, Samuel Axon of Obsessable reported that YouTube named CBS as one of many in a deal to supply “thousands” of professionally-produced television shows and movies. Aside from CBS, the other providers are Lionsgate, Starz, Sony, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), and the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Axon elaborated that “visitors to the site will be given two options via tabs: the original, user-generated section, and a “Shows” section for all the pro content.” During the 2009 NCAA Basketball March Madness Tournament, Phil Glockner of ReadWriteWeb revealed that CBS used Microsoft Silverlight to stream live television on its NCAA March Madness On Demand channel on YouTube, a product that CBS also uses on its own website. Glockner says that Silverlight, which is a development platform, permits the user to adjust the quality of the streaming video. With Silverlight, the video feed is in high definition and suffers from fewer hiccups or glitches.

Just this past Election Day, CBS partnered with YouTube to cover the various campaign races across the country. Beginning at 9:00 PM, CBS streamed the poll numbers as they came in on their YouTube channel. Cris Crum of WebProNews quotes Ramya Raghavan of YouTube News and Politics, “As polling results come in from across the country, we’re partnering with CBS News to live stream election results and highlight election trends on YouTube and Google.” Raghavan further states that “This approach of examining web trends adds a new level of depth to election reporting and is a model that news organizations can use for any major event or milestone."

Conclusion
Since CBS first joined the YouTube community four years ago, most if not all of the other broadcast television networks have established an account on YouTube. I easily see these networks pursuing similar arrangements with YouTube as CBS did, especially the full-video content trend. In many ways, the Internet is like a newer albeit smaller version of the television in which the advertising still acts as the main supporter thereby allowing the networks to show these programs free of charge.

Sources
Press Release. “CBS and YouTube Strike Strategic Content and Advertising Partnership.”
YouTube. 9 October 2006. Web. 15 November 2010. http://www.youtube.com/press_room_entry?entry=iXG7e1g-BWI

Cashmore, Peter. “The YouTube Effect: CBS Gets Massive Boost.” Mashable. 2006.
Web. 15 November 2010. http://mashable.com/2006/11/21/the-youtube-effect-cbs-gets-massive-boost/.

“YouTube, CBS Partner To Add Full-Length Episodes Of Popular Shows.” The Huffington Post. AdAge, 10 October 2008. Web. 15 November 2010. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/10/youtube-cbs-partner-to- ad_n_133730.html.

Axon, Samuel. “YouTube Signs Sony, CBS, BBC, And Others To Supply ‘Thousands’
Of Professionally-Produced Videos.” Obsessable. 16 April 2009. Web. 15
November 2010. http://www.obsessable.com/news/2009/04/16/youtube-signs- sony- cbs-bbc-and-others-to-supply-thousands-of-professionally-produced-videos/.

Glockner, Phil. “CBS Leverages Silverlight For YouTube NCAA March Madness Site.”
ReadWriteWeb. 19 March 2009. Web. 15 November 2010. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/cbs_leverages_silverlight_for_youtube_ ncaa_march_m.php.

Crum, Chris. “Watch The Election Results On YouTube.” WebProNews. 2 November
2010. Web. 15 November 2010. <http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2010/11/02/watch-the-election-results- on- youtube>.

Oh, Snap!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

CBS and YouTube

Monday, September 6, 2010

Introduction