Why Duncan and Grade may be better off building bridges with Google.
Is it a coincidence that two of the best-known figures in broadcasting to have laid into Google are also in charge of the two most financially challenged commercial broadcasters? This week C4 chief Andy Duncan joined ITV's Michael Grade in what is becoming a growing chorus of disapproval of the online search engine giant.
While Grade famously called Google a parasite, Duncan accused the company of taking without giving back to the UK production scene.
At the centre of their complaints is Google's apparent inability to halt unauthorised copyrighted content on services such as YouTube. Not everyone has confined their attacks on the search engine to words, with Viacom recently indicating that it is confident it will prevail in its $1bn lawsuit.
Whatever the outcome of this eagerly awaited legal verdict, Google's position is clear. It insists that it is simply a tool designed to help people find what they are looking for in a world of online information overload. It also insists it isn't a content company.
Perhaps it's time for Google to reassess this mission statement - to take a leaf from Bebo and launch initiatives to create its own content. This, alongside the measures it is taking to discourage users from posting copyrighted material, would surely help deflect the growing volleys of criticism.
One thing seems clear - mere discouragement is no longer enough. Google is already in exploratory talks with the Advertising Association along with AOL, Facebook and Bebo to introduce a list of standard requirements for self regulation.
Perhaps the biggest threats to Google are not harsh words or legal action, but regulation. Culture secretary Andy Burnham has indicated the government is keen to step up regulation of the internet and his new minister Stephen Carter is considering the issue in his Digital Britain review, due next year.
Of course, the context for the rising tide of complaints is that Google's most vocal critics are looking at setting up their own online content distribution services. VoD joint-venture Kangaroo is one of C4 and ITV's brightest hopes for new revenue streams.
Google's disarming stance on Kangaroo is that it hopes to partner with the service - in contrast to VoD providers, such as Joost, which opposed Kangaroo.
The reality is Google is a dominant force in an increasingly online world. Commercial channels might be better off striking deals rather than browbeating the search giant. One of Google's central concepts for success has been to make content as widely available as possible. It's a message worth listening to.
Emily Booth, Acting Editor
MY RESPONSE:
Reader Response
Finally Emily...someone with a brain!
Rather than acting like petulant schoolboys taking pot shots at the prize winner, they'd both do better to put themselves on a level playing field.
Using an analogy that Michael especially would understand, the likes of Google, Facebook et al have already created the oceans and therefore the ability to charge a small tax (CPM) for those that use them. The focus now is to build the biggest and the best ships to sail on them and at an appropriate premium.
With the potential shareholder glory of being the landlord well and truly gone, Andy and Michael need to focus on creating British ships of the line to keep those waters free from political influence and the favoured choice of all travelers. I'm sure that Google etc. would welcome and support that ambition.
In my humble opinion, kidding themselves that they can somehow circumvent this and create value within separate new platforms is a naive and potentially catastrophic error of judgement which will ultimately end in tears!
I would love to see both of them showing a clear strategy for their brands and, perhaps wielding a few law suits in front of them, carve a leading influence in the new media world.
Focus on the quality of the content guys and protect it with all you can muster...then maybe you will prevail! Jan [at] famebook.com
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