Looks like the BBC deal with google and youtube means there will be ads served against and on BBC content within the UK. BBC REPORT HERE
The Beeb has long carried ads on its international networks but been shy of doing so on similar services in the UK.
One of the YouTube channels the Beeb will supply content for will carry ads and even have 'pre-roll' ads on their videos.
It's not like the BBC isn't a commercial organisation - it publishes magazines, sells books etc etc.
The BBC's director of Future Media and Technology, Ashley Highfield, said the deal was "not about distributing content like full-length programmes; YouTube is a promotional vehicle for us".
It's also a fantastic vehicle for two-way flow. Imagine the video response fun to be had. I wonder how much they'll censor them, too. See the Worldwide channel here.
What's the next step?
Global video on demand - supplied free with ads in place?
The future is about providing free content - and attempting to engage markets around this, after all.
How are the Beeb going to make the distinction between what they should place ads on and what is a sacred cow?
How is an ad on a BBC video clip any different from an ad at the start of the 10pm News on BBC1?
Both are just as likely to annoy viewers.
The difference is the ads can be so much more targeted on a clip-by-clip basis. Perhaps the Beeb is watching ITV's crisis and realising that not only is it much more under-the-radar to do ads on YouTube clips, it's also - thanks to its superior level of engagement - of potentially MORE value to advertisers.
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The rate of change is so rapid it's difficult for one person to keep up to speed. Let's pool our thoughts, share our reactions and, who knows, even reach some shared conclusions worth arriving at?
