Be Very UNafraid of YouTube

Traditional media seems to fear the next generation and its Internet, mobile devices and social networks. I don't know why. In our fierce competition for audiences and dollars we often forget that media creates more media. There's some recent evidence to make my point, but it won't be the last corroboration. CBS of late has been diving into YouTube content like a true convert. "CSI". Lettterman. "Survivor" to name a few of their shows. MediaPost reports CBS has placed more than 300 clips on YouTube. You'd expect the views to be high, but some never expected ratings to go up. Letterman's audience is up 5%. Even "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" on late, late is up 7%. Translation: YouTube is helping traditional TV gain audience not lose it. When YouTubers see TV they like, they turn it on and watch. What's wrong with media executives? How can so many smart people be so stupid? Record labels, get your video on YouTube and stop with the rights management stuff. You'll sell more records. Universal, take MySpace's last offer and improve your business. You're never going to get rich on these rights deals but selling music will make you money. The New York Times gives away its news online and is still one of the better newspaper franchises. Cross pollination -- new media with traditional and back and forth makes sense to consumers. It only doesn't make sense to media barons. If content is king (which it is), make people crave what you're selling and they will buy. Thanks to so many new ways to reach customers the record labels, TV networks, newspapers, and radio operators ought to be very unafraid indeed.