Next generation (C) of user generation... Current.com

Current.com (Current TV to you and me) has hit the turbo button.

I could ramble on about all the cool new features and the wonderful community connections it creates, but you'd be better off (and way more entertained) by watching the video tutorial you'll find here.

I'm indebted to Richard Moynihan for giving me the heads up on this.

Richard said: "Current TV has relaunched its website now, converging its online presence with its TV channel. They've dropped the current.tv url and gone for an all-inclusive current.com."

I did get invited to the beta trial earlier this month (was there any current.tv user who wasn't?!?) - but I've been on hols so missed all the fun!

Here's what Current.com had to say about the new stuff:

"Current's new website is a place for you to connect to people and topics that are important and interesting to you - and when you do, you'll influence a global TV network.

• Explore cool stuff from the Web submitted by people like you
• Add things of your own and share them with your friends
• Watch and influence the full line-up of programming from Current TV
• Join the conversation ... with your keyboard or your webcam!"

It really is an exceptionally fully-featured user-centric, community-driven news (information) service.

What it does is connect two human needs - validation (through the repuations, ratings and some good old-fashion broadcast fame via the 'global TV network) and community.

I have a view about news I often quote (see below). Take a look at Current.com and see how close you think they've got...

"News is:

1. Personalised, real time, community-created, shared information.
2. Best gathered at the point of inspiration (on that handy converged device - the mobile)
3. Best distributed to the point of need (and, taking advantage of the always on, always with you nature of that same converged device, that's best served by mobile, too).

This draws from the understanding that it is the community that best serves its own needs. An individual cannot get this from a disaggregated collection of digitised information. They can from a... community of shared interest. The community emerges as the dominant force.

From: The Power of the Network = The Power of We: Why Media is the New Business Ecology.

User Generated TV show - shot on and sent from mobile

Another of my predictions for 2007 gets to be ticked off (well, very nearly). And no, I had no idea this was in the pipeline when I wrote this 'A citizen-journalism TV channel made up entirely of video shot on and uploaded from mobile phones will launch.' (click for 2007 predictions in full.)

I'm pleased to say it's emap (the company I work for) which is delivering this one.

FLASHBOX is a 100% user generated programme which will be aired on TV channel The Box.

Nowt particularly unusual about that (hello Current TV). Where it ticks my 2007 predictions' box is in being created almost entirely of video shot on and sent from mobile.

From the release: "viewers (can) upload personalised video clips via sms (really?), mms and online and will be shown around the music video playlist. This is a natural step for The Box, the first UK music channel totally dependent on consumer interaction."

It will be screened daily from March 19 at 4pm for 1 hour.

Emap programme Controller, Phil Poole said: "We all recognise the change in consumers media consumption habits and our programming needs to reflect that. We are excited by the new format and hope that our viewers are too!"

I'm interested to hear whether or not there's a revenue share for our new content providers? And can the show also be viewed on mobile - that would close the circle beautifully for me.

CurrentTV turns on in the UK

Al Gore's wonderful CurrentTV is now on UK and Irish shores to get all disruptive on the old-style TV broadcasters asses.
Find out more here: http://uk.current.com/

BBC to launch social networks - and your career on TV?

Now this is potentially scary - though not entirely unexpected: BBC to invest in social networking sites (over on Communities Dominate Brands)
Alan Moore discusses the BBC plan to build UGC socially-networking sites around brands such as Top Gear (while also planning to sell TV Centre - an illustration of the rapid shift from central broadcast to independant content creators).
The big advantage the Beeb has in a pitch for your video UGC (even against YouTube) is it has a reputation for putting things on the tele. Yep, your video nasty could, just conceivably, be broadcast on 'proper TV'.
Now, I don't know whether or not that is the Beeb plan - but it would be a real short-term drawer. Despite the rush to co-created content, you'd be hard pushed to find someone who wouldn't prefer that their own UGC reaches a huge number of people in one hit - and the perception remains that that's on TV.
If the Beeb ran a CurrentTV-style show straight after CBeebies on BBC4... what a head start they'd have.
That head start would only be for the short term. But it would give them the time to cement their audience into a TV-on-demand future.
If TV on demand via your pc, TV, mobile device is the real future, the TV schedule and the power of traditional channels just dribbles away.
Looks like rivals have a year before the BBC version will kick in.

Google and YouTube - and a revolution in user content?

Google's £900m purchase of YouTube not only reveals how important both 4C-style engaged community marketing is and how absolutely essential innovation is (see Death of me-to-ism), it could also represent the first giant leap towards the 'better content' that Google's chief recently referred to in a bit of a throw-away line (see here).
I initially thought that might mean choice editors (of the consumer media brand kind) were about to find an increasingly important role in a proliferating world.
But that may be just part of it.
From what I understand from the BBC's reporting of the YouTube sale, the google plan includes paying users for the content they provide. Perhaps learning from OhMyNews (see 'ones to watch) or perhaps just applying their adsense model for good, google will pay the video makers on YouTube.
Exactly how remains unclear. Will you get a share of the adsense revenue generated on ads placed against your content. Will you get a pay for play.
What ever the model the intention is clear - make good stuff that more people want to see and you'll get paid the most.
And when you line that up alongside the UK launch of Al Gore's Current TV... well, where do you think this leaves/takes media companies?
Oh, and here are the YouTube founders laughing all the way to the bank:


I also have to recommend you read Publishing2.0 today (Oct 10) (see recommended blogs) on how the gootube deal raises questions about what media is - has it got anything to do with content anymore, or is it just about the aggregation of audience by whatever means?