News: Oprah started out the show today on YouTube with this pronouncement:
“You know, there are a few inventions that I think kind of rock the world. Wouldn’t you agree? The telephone would be in there, right? I think about that every time I dial. There’s just 7 digits, and then you’re talking to somebody. The light bulb would have to be there. And the airplane, of course, because most of you got here by airplane. Of course, the computer, look at how our world has changed since the computer.
“And then there are a couple guys in their twenties who launched YOUTUBE! … [APPPLAUSE] And then it just exploded, virtually exploded. This website allows anybody to post a video and become world famous instantly. Over 200 million–MILLION!–videos are watched on YouTube every single day.”
Analysis: The show today was pretty amazing, as was Oprah. Oprah definitely gets it. She really gets the incredible power of YouTube. She’s not a techie, but she is perhaps the most astute media celebrity/mogul around. As I’ve been saying to anyone who will listen, YouTube is, hands down, the most important website in the 21st century. It is revolutionary. And now Oprah is a part of the revolution.
Chad Hurley and Steve Chen welcomed Oprah to YouTube in the video below:
But it appears that Tyson, the skateboarding dog, stole the show on Oprah and YouTube:
Analysis: I have so much to say about the importance of Oprah to YouTube that I don’t know even where to begin. After I watch Tuesday’s Oprah show, I will be back with some further thoughts. This may well be the biggest coup for YouTube, even bigger than’s Google’s acquisition last year.
News: How do you know you’ve finally arrived? Oprah Winfrey invites you to be on her show. This Tuesday, Oprah is devoting an entire show to YouTube and its celebrities, including Dutch singing sensation Esmee Denters. Oprah will eventually interview co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen (although I’m not sure it’s on the Tuesday show or not). Hands down, this is the single biggest moment for YouTube as a cultural phenomenon. As I’ve often said to those who ask me about YouTube, YouTube is, without a doubt, the most important website to come along in the 21st century. It has transformed entertainment, music, politics, and the way in which we disseminate information. No wonder that Oprah Winfrey — a phenomenon herself and whose No.1 talk show is seen by 49 million viewers a week — is featuring an entire show on YouTube.
Here’s Esmee’s announcement about being on Oprah:
Analysis: Being on the Oprah show will give YouTube incredible exposure to millions of people, especially women, who probably know next to nothing about YouTube. I wonder how Oprah became interested in YouTube. I can’t wait to watch the show! I love Esmee, but my favorite probably will be Tyson, the skateboarding dog.
News: Bill Clinton touts YouTube’s new non-profit program. For more about the program, visit my earlier post.
Analysis: The Resident took this video. Apparently, the lighting was too strong because the picture looks washed out — until the very end, when the picture suddenly looks great.
Hello, YouTube. Here’s my latest video. One thing about the title: the video was 3 minutes and 20 seconds, but I added credits at the end, which made it longer.
News: The ceremony for the Webby Awards (the so-called Oscars of the Internet) was held in New York. YouTube co-founders Chad Hurley and Steven Chen won the Person of the Year Award. Jessica Rose, who plays “lonelygirl15,” won for Best Actress. The Best Actor Award went to “Ask a Ninja” guys Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine. Obviously, YouTube did well this year! (More)
David Bowie also won a lifetime achievement award for his web visual art work on Bowieart.
The best part of the evening: all acceptance speeches must be 5 words or less! Chad and Steve said, “YouTubers, this is for you.” Jessica said, “Being traditional and saying thanks.” Ask a Ninja guys said, “Thanks mom. Thanks Internet fans.” David Bowie got to say more because he’s David Bowie and just won a lifetime achievement award: “I only get five words? Sh*t, that was five. Four more there. That’s three. Two.” (more)
News: WSJ writer Walt Mossberg interviewed the YouTube co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. According to a PC World account, Mossberg grilled the two cofounders about copyright issues.
News: Here’s the highlight from the recent AP interview with YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. YouTube is betting on user-generated content (not big media productions) to be the mainstay of their business:
“What our users want to watch is themselves,” he said. “They don’t want to watch professionally produced content. There are so many people with cameras that have the opportunity to create their own content and so many more people with editing tools to tell their stories, we feel this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Because of its emphasis on grainy, homemade videos, YouTube isn’t worried about the efforts of NBC Universal and News Corp. to launch their own Internet video channel. Nor are they concerned about another site, Joost, which has gained the backing of major media companies like Viacom and CBS. Those alternatives all seem interested in providing slick, lengthy videos akin to traditional television programming rather than invading YouTube’s niche of serving up two- to three-minute clips, Hurley said. “We have never been about full-length programming. We have never been about high quality. We don’t really see ourselves building the largest audience by moving in that direction.”
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Chad Hurley, Oprah, Steve Chen, YouTube | 
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