SoCalTech’s lead story this morning…
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Google, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Team On Video
Search engine giant Google and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation said this morning that the two are teaming to provide television archive footage in Google Video. The Academy will make its historical American television archive available for free viewing on Google’s video searching service. The Academy will place 284 historic films, about 240 viewing hours worth of interviews with actors, writers, producers, and directors in the Google video system. Content included in the video include interviews with Alan Alda, Phyllis Diller, Dick Wolf, Michael J. Fox, Steven Bochco, Ted Turner, William Shatner, and many others, according to the companies. 75 of the interviews are available today on the Google site.
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For those large media companies that have focused on Google’s growing threat to Microsoft, this news should refocus the spotlight on the threat to Yahoo!, the so-called 4th network. Of course, this move in itself is only an opportunity for Google to stretch and flex its muscle. But, this is the sort of industry validation and critical mass of content that can jumpstart a significant video content destination.