We Want Media

Corporate monster Viacom demanded that YouTube remove all videos under Viacom property that supposedly violate copyright laws. Other large media entities, such as CBS and NBC, support Viacom’s iron-fist policy against YouTube, claiming (and I paraphrase) that web streaming content is theirs and only theirs for their own profit.

That’s YouTube’s legal battle right now, and a question that develops from it is whether or not YouTube has staying power if it loses all of its Mariah Carey music videos and CBS news clips about rats in Taco Bell/KFC.

The company gained a foothold on the internet as a user-generated video host, but now is threatened to topple over due to professionally created content. A once-independent, novel site has sold out and gone mainstream, which isn’t really the fault of the site itself –- that’s the fault of the celebrity-driven users and watchers. With the backing of Google, YouTube has become more of a force to be reckoned with, which probably annoyed the big media players more than when it was a merely flimsy site without the revenue wit of Googlers.

I’ll admit I love watching full-length music videos on YouTube. Yes, I could watch perhaps a clip of one at MTV’s site, but only after four minutes of loud, obnoxious advertising. Even without the perfectly polished and professional videos on the site, I think it’ll return to being itself –- that is, 85 percent junk from inarticulate and unskilled people often mouthing off. But it’s still a gem for the other 15 percent of users who showcase talent and challenging ideas.