Current TV

Current TV

Ownership
Owner	independent

Current TV is an independent media company led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, businessman Joel Hyatt, industry professionals, and young people. The cable television network went on the air at midnight EDT (4:00 UTC) on the morning of August 1, 2005. Current features "pods", or short programs, of which 30% are created by viewers and users.

An experimental Canadian show called ZeD, was the first programmed broadcast of user generated video content.[1] Other inspiration for Current TV came from a 1990s series on MTV called UNfiltered, where the network sent cameras to viewers in order to report on stories they thought were important. Current TV is the first 24 hour network based around viewer created content.

Programs

Current TV has a variety of different ways that viewers can contribute. This is called VC², or viewer created content. One way to contribute is a 3-7 minute pod about topics of interest, topics in the news, or really anything interesting, in which one may earn $500-$1000. Content is chosen by registered users through a voting process. VC² make up 30% of the content aired on the channel. [2] Current TV also has Current Mobile, which is a short clip of footage acquired via cell phone. The money that can be earned for this type of footage is $100. Users may also create Viewer Created Ad Messages, or V-CAMs. Viewers can create an ad from a list of some of Current TV's sponsors. It is possible to earn anywhere from $1,000-$50,000. Users can also make Current TV promos which are small promotions for either Current TV or the general topic of VC². The max amount of money that can be earned here is $250 per piece. The channel has exclusive rights over viewer-submitted segments, which was a change from the original policy of the creator retaining rights to the content. [3]

Google provides hourly updates on popular web searches branded as Google Current. [4] Current formerly had a business relationship with Yahoo to supply video "channels" to The Yahoo! Current Network

Additional content is purchased by the channel through commercial methods.

History

After the 2000 U.S. presidential election, Gore and Hyatt wanted to start a conventional cable news network. They were disenchanted with the existing networks, especially CNN. The plan evolved into making a viewer-generated channel aimed at young people.

On May 4, 2004, INdTV Holdings, a company co-founded by Gore and Joel Hyatt, purchased cable news channel NewsWorld International (NWI) from Vivendi Universal for the express purpose of launching their new network with the space on some digital cable lineups (and DirecTV) that NWI had. The new network would not have political leanings, Gore said, but would serve as an "independent voice" for a target audience of people between 18 and 34 "who want to learn about the world in a voice they recognize and a view they recognize as their own." Other reports said that Gore hoped that the channel would help change the tide of "consolidation and conglomeratization" of the media by leading the change to "democratization." The news network was said to be a combination between CNN, MTV, and blipverts.

In the summer of 2004, Gore and Hyatt announced their new network, christened INdTV, with a series of public recruitment events. The first of these events was held at the Bambuddha Lounge in San Francisco's Tenderloin, on August 25. On April 4, 2005, the former Vice President and business partner Hyatt announced that they had changed the name of the network from INdTV to Current. The new television network launched in the United States on August 1, 2005.

In August 2006, Current TV had become a leader in midst of the growing popularity of YouTube and viewer-created content. Currently, the network is available in 30 million homes nationwide in the US, with plans underway for several international versions.

On September 20, 2006, Current TV started a short-lived partnership with Yahoo to supply topic-specific "channels" to the Yahoo Video website. Called the Yahoo! Current Network, the first four channels, "Current Buzz", "Current Traveler" "Current Action" (about action sports) and "Current Driver" quickly became the most popular videos on the Yahoo Video web site. There were Yahoo branded segments on Current TV, similar to the Google Current segments. Additional web channels were planned. However, on December 6, 2006, Yahoo and Current TV announced the end of their relationship. [5] Madeline Smithberg, co-creator of The Daily Show, was the Executive Producer for this project.

On October 6, 2006, a deal was announced with British Sky Broadcasting to create a localized British version of Current TV to its satellite systems in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Hosts

• Johnny Bell
• Nzinga Blake
• Amaya Brecher
• Douglas Caballero
• Elizabeth Chambers
• Gotham Chopra
• Jael de Pardo
• Justin Gunn
• Conor Knighton
• Laura Ling
• Kaj Larsen
• Max Lugavere
• Anthony Marshall
• MURS
• Kinga Philipps
• Christof Putzel
• Jason Silva
• Adam Yamaguchi
• Rawley Valverde
• Layla Kayleigh was a correspondent for a short time, before being terminated for doing a photo shoot and interview for Maxim magazine.

External links

• Official Site
• Yahoo Current Network site
• Podcast of Q&A session with Current TV's CTO - Oct 2006
• East Bay Express article about INdTV
• The Nation article about Current
• Wired article about the startup of Current TV