I Can’t Find What I Want
November 13th, 2007 by Alec McNayrPosted in Comedy, Content, Strategy | No Comments »
I wrote a post a few weeks ago about Saturday Night Live, and linked to a few of my favorite clips on YouTube.
Big mistake.
Now that NBC has pulled all of its content off of the site, all my links are now bunk. I am a lifelong fan of SNL, and a big fan of NBC’s new slate of shows, including 30 Rock, Heroes, Chuck,
Bionic Woman, My Name is Earl, and, everyone’s favorite, The Office.Of course, NBC pulled all their clips off of YouTube due to copyright infringement, which I totally agree with. NBC absolutely has the right to control how their content is displayed, and when, and who makes money from its distribution.
However, the point of this half-rant is not whether NBC has the right to pull their videos from YouTube, but if they should have done so.
Sure, Hulu is in beta, but I haven’t received an invitation yet. Don’t you think that it would have been worthwhile for NBC to keep their videos online until the full launch of that site? Surely I am one of millions of people who want to instantly search for a Scrubs clip, or a Will Ferrell Spartans video. Wouldn’t it be in NBC’s best interest to continue to capitalize on their fanbase to generate interest and excitement about their programming… at least, until Hulu gets launched?
Now I’m stuck trying to remember what an Andy Samberg video used to look like.
And yes, I could just go to the SNL site to view one, but it’s just not as easy as going to YouTube. And if it’s not easy, I’m not going to do it, and millions of others won’t either. It’s a lesson that many new online producers get — make it instantly accessible on the viewer’s terms — but something NBC has not yet grasped fully.
I wish I could say that I’m going to boycott my favorite shows on NBC, but my will is just not that strong. Like a jilted lover, I’ll keep running back to them… that is, if the writer’s strike doesn’t claim them first.
