YouTube Gears Up for TV Future – Telecom Act Angst – Piracy Legislation Push Back

Online TV:  If you haven't seen it yet, hop on over to YouTube where aspirations for an online TV future are written all over the redesigned website.  With more features to engage viewers, and a whole bunch of channels planned, Google wants its current three BILLION monetized views per week at YouTube to churn out more cash.  Current take?  Around $1.6 billion projected for this year.  You'll find a good article on the changes at Business Insider; plus YouTube has a blog touting the revamp.

Telecom Act Angst:  Yesterday's US Telecom Symposium revolved around revisiting the last Telecom Act ('96) and bringing it into the new, blended technology era.  Or, "careful-what-you-wish-for" territory.  CTIA's Steve Largent noted rules are easy to get made, hard to get rid of even if the world changed.  NCTA's Michael Powell lamented uncertainties for all saying, "Right or wrong, do something ... government owes you finality."  Powell, noting the House Communications Subcommittee's actions on spectrum auction legislation also said, " ... it's the first time the government has said there is a higher and better use for spectrum than broadcast."  Of course, only one faction of the government has made that claim ... so far.

D.C.:  Among the big losers in current wrangling over broadcast spectrum:  Protection for white space users.  It's not in the recently passed JOBS bill from House Republicans. --- Piracy legislation in both the Senate and House is getting big time push back from some conservatives concerned about "regulating the internet."  Provisions for website blocking and search engine de-listing are key stumbling blocks.  More from ArsTechnica.

Up, Over & Under There:  Hybrid TV is hotter than ever in Europe as a continent-wide rollout is planned for next year.  More than 20 members of the European Broadcasting Union (with British broadcasters conspicuously missing) are signed on to the measure. More from BroadbandTVNews.

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