Colin's Corner

BBC Worldwide shifts revenue focus from Web ads to content

Now Marketing reports that  BBC Worldwide is trying to reduce its reliance on online ads as a revenue stream with a major push into content syndication over the coming year.

As well as an increase in content syndication, the strategy looks set to see a rise in supplementary paid-for material on sites such as those for Radio Times and Top Gear. BC Worldwide insists it won't start charging for existing online content, but will introduce paid-for features, games and Web-to-mobile services. Online advertising will clearly remain key, but the company hopes to generate upwards of 40% of its overall revenue from content syndication. BBC Worldwide is looking to transfer a number of its existing magazine brands online, with new launches expected in the food sector.

Who let the Blogs out ?

Interesting article from the NYTimes, A Blog Revolution? Get a Grip covering Nick Denton's Gawker Media, whose collection of sites include the popular Gizmodo, Gawker, Fleshbot, Sploid, GridskipperJalopnik. Both Denton's Gawker Media and WegLogs Inc run by Jason Calacanis are pursing an aggregation model using a network of owned web properties run by employees rather than ownership residing with the bloggers.

Stowe Boyd, president of Corante comments that "the editors on Gawker are talented, entertaining and informative, but also indistinguishable from any freelance writer, with no ownership of what they produce. These people are hirelings, what they are cranking out are the 700 words they signed on to produce." "They're pursuing a very clear agenda and they've done very well with that.. they're just an old media company in new media clothes"
 
"Blogs primarily excel at marketing and promotion for companies or individuals," Mr. Phillips of I Want Media said. "I think blogging can catapult unknown writers, and it can give them a platform if they're talented. But as a stand-alone business, I think the jury is still out on that." and

Interviews with Jason Calacanis can be found here and here