YouTube spends $100 million to redefine TV

From The Province:

“Technology will just increase the consumption of our content,” says Albert Cheng, who oversees digital media for Disney-ABC Television Group. The company’s Disney Interactive Media group is creating a short program for YouTube based on the popular mobile game “Where’s My Water?” “We (in big media) shouldn’t be afraid of these shifts we’re seeing, because ultimately, great content will win. And with expanded distribution platforms, you just open up new forums for storytelling.”

For now, YouTube isn’t likely to serve up the next Modern Family. Instead, it aims to provide short niche content for an increasingly fractured audience, says Shishir Mehrotra, vice president of product management. “Our $100 million is just a catalyst, a message that says the big channel or show of the future is not going to be the channel or show of today.”

For CSI’s Zuiker, partnering with YouTube for a series to premiere in April was an easy decision. The dozen 10-minute shorts will allow him to flesh out ideas quickly and without much oversight, and could serve as mini-pilots that lead to traditional shows.

“This format allows A-list talent to be more creative,” he says. “The videos can have a sharper voice and edge than my TV projects, though by shooting them with a Canon 7D (digital SLR), they can look TV-quality at a fraction of the cost.”