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NBCU’s Zucker lashes out at YouTube

Posted by Cory Bergman on February 6, 2007

On his first day as CEO of NBC Universal, Jeff Zucker had some pointed words for the biggest video site on the web. “YouTube needs to prove that it will implement its filtering technology across its online platform. It’s proven it can do it when it wants to,” Zucker said, referring to the site’s controls to block porn and other objectionable content. He added: “They have the capability. The question is whether they have the will.” NBC and other media companies are frustrated with YouTube’s delay in launching its promised technology to filter out copyrighted content, which contributed to Viacom’s decision to halt negotiations and pull its content off the site.

  • thehartfordchannel

    totally off topic:

    chalk one up for safran; cbs4boston has re-launched as wbztv.

    let’s take a look at the alexaholic numbers in a week or so. if any other re-launch i’ve followed is an indication the newsroom is wetting its pants today, but in a few days they’ll wonder w-t-f happened; they’ll be probing low numbers never seen before because of their terrible search results.

  • Dixie Wrecked

    Come on, Mr. Zucker. Just let this one go. It will be OK. We promise we won’t rhyme your name with that other word…

  • Safran

    Dixie: (Nice handle.) NBC is reinventing itself as a digital house. I’m hopeful Zucker will see the light on this one, and recognize YT for the marketing value it gives.

  • baker

    if google didn’t buy YouTube, my response would be, “will Zucker, et al, go after *the next* YouTube, and the one after that, and the one after that, and so on and so forth?”

    but google bought them and effectively legitimized the rampant piracy in the public mind, and a lot of colleagues cheered and keep raising the “marketing value” flag. from a studio or network point of view, i still don’t buy it and it’s damn near impossible to quantify it.

    Zucker and co. can’t stop piracy, but they have every right to point at one of the biggest companies on the planet and say, “you enable and legitimize this piracy with no business model and you’re not delivering on your promises.” the fact that the content is out there is not the point anymore.

    that said, i’m interested in reading more about content sharing/delivery innovation from the networks and studios, and less about their cease-and-desist letters.

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