TechCrunch Co-Editor Erick Schonfeld wrote a great article about video hosting service Syndicaster’s increased options for distributing local broadcast news.
Via TechCrunch:
…Syndicaster is adding one-click distribution options to the major video sites so that local TV affiliates or station groups can post their videos to AOL Money & Finance or their YouTube channel, and manage it all from one place. One feature that TV customers will appreciate is the ability to set embargo windows for each service, allowing a TV station to publish hot news immediately to its own site, then 24 or 36 hours later to video partner sites where it makes the most money, and then maybe finally to YouTube.
While the article focuses on Syndicaster’s business model and its potential to rejuvenate local broadcast news organizations, it does make short mention of the startup’s inability to generate a profit from consumers. Until they can turn a profit on user generated content, they wouldn’t be including features for it. And beside it being costly and unpredictable to manage, I’m not convinced that any national (media) company needs to enable user generated news.
That job belongs to the local news organizations. And the only way they can be successful is if they provide the one thing that national entities cannot produce: A strong, valuable relationship with a local community.
