Yahoo moves to capitalize on amateur video

Yahoo, the Internet giant, is trying to cash in on the amateur-video craze by introducing TV- style programming.

The move would help Yahoo catch up with its rival Google Inc., after Yahoo missed buying YouTube Inc., market analysts said.

Last week, the California-based Yahoo reported disappointing third-quarter earnings.

The newly-introduced programming "The 9," an online show that features sites and videos from across the Web, has become a quiet hit for Yahoo since it launched in July.

As many as 6 million viewers a month watch host Maria Sansone's rundown of nine wacky sites, then click away to photos of yawning rabbits, YouTube videos of slow-motion face slaps and episodes of Mr. T's new TV show, according to the Los Angeles Times on Monday.

Lloyd Braun, head of Yahoo's media unit, was so pleased with " The 9" that he enlisted its creator, longtime TV producer Michael Davies, to start a filmmaking competition to find a Web star with staying power. The winner of the "Yahoo Talent Show," which will be launched today, will receive 50,000 dollars and land a regular show on Yahoo.

Together, "The 9" and "Talent Show" reveal Braun's emerging vision for Yahoo's role in online entertainment: Blend show- business packaging with homemade-video creativity to bring cult hits into the Web mainstream.

Braun and Davies said the show was profitable, although they declined to reveal details. They said the traffic, 5 million to 6 million monthly visitors, has far exceeded their expectations, and they're exploring ways to expand the show to international markets.

Source: Xinhua