Digital

Fame TV launches in UK

OK so this is the next step in the chain of user generated videos....or is it just a  reverse of You've Been Framed where people pay for their videos to be shown, instead of getting £250?

Here's the article from AdAge Digital:

User-Generated Video Gets Its Own TV Channel

Fame TV Launches in U.K., in Discussions to Expand to U.S.

By Beth Snyder Bulik

Published: November 13, 2006

YORK, Pa. (AdAge.com) -- Ready for a TV channel made up entirely of consumer-generated videos?

Revver.com involved
That's right, for 1.5 pounds -- or a little less than $3 -- video makers can upload their work with the guarantee that it will run on Fame TV on the BskyB satellite network in the U.K. and Ireland. And U.S. video site Revver.com, known for its discovery and promotion of the wildly popular Mentos and Diet Coke fountains-of-fizz video, is the station's first aggregate content provider.

John Hayes, head of development at Fame TV, said the channel is currently in discussions with U.S. networks to expand here.

Fame TV runs nine boxes on-screen at one time, each titled and given SMS codes so that viewers can vote for their favorites via cellphone.

"This is just the beginning [of user-generated videos appearing on TV]," said Steven Starr, CEO of Revver.com. "Being affiliated with Fame TV is great for our creator base. ... We ask them, 'Would you like us to distribute your content into a broadcast environment?' And the vast majority, almost 100%, says yes."

Paying creators
While individual users pay to upload their work directly to Fame TV, Revver's videos will be aggregated and reviewed by the channel, and only some will be chosen to run, at no cost to the creator. Revver will pay creators half of the SMS revenue their videos garner on Fame TV; that's a business model Revver has used in the online realm, where it pays creators a revenue share for each view or download.

John Hayes, head of development at Fame TV, said the channel is currently in discussions with U.S. networks to expand here. He also said while Fame TV would consider taking ads on the channel, it currently does not, instead relying on fees generated by users for revenue. Since launching today, the channel has logged 1,000 video uploads directly from U.K. users, he said.

Still, not everyone is convinced consumer-generated media has a bright future on TV. Mitch Oscar, exec-VP at Carat Digital, pointed to user-generated content such as the online Blair Witch Project and JibJab, both of which gained massive popularity but not longevity. "They're great one-night stands, but they ultimately become just great memories," he said.

How not to use a blog, by PayperPost

Although new to this blogging lark, even I know that the basic premise of it is honesty and transparency. There is no point lying, or writing things that are designed to covertly market something, or spread certain ideas. To this extent the blogosphere (rubbish word I know) is self selecting - the good ideas spread, the bad ones wither and die.

Brands that have tried to manipulate blogs by posting artifical comments about their products and services have been slapped down by bloggers in the past with often significant backlashes.

In spite of this, Payperpost have launched a service that pays bloggers to write positively about products or services on their blogs.

I read this on Antony Mayfield's Open blog, check out his post here.

I cannot say strongly enough what a dreadful, terrible, awful idea this is for any brand to try and covertly market themselves, their products or services in this way.

Backlash is putting it mildly. I'm not sure if you agree, but I think it's a terrible abuse of blogging and just shows that there are so many people out there who still have no idea what it is about.

Phew, rant over. Apologies.

Steve

Bluffers Guide to Social Media

Social Media is the catch all term for the new forms of interaction and communication that the internet now makes possible.

A chap called Antony Mayfield has written a basic guide explaining the key points about it, and it's great. Read it, you may know most of what's in it, you may not, but it really is something worth reading.

I wish this guide had been available when I was applying for jobs!

Find the guide at Spannerworks and lots of other articles, and if you want to read more of Antony's stuff, head over to his 'Open' blog here it's a really good one.

Let me know what you think about the article and any ideas that come out of reading it,

Cheers

Steve