Hello Hulu! But Not in Canada...

Just about a year ago, I reported on our sister Website http://www.marketnews.ca/ that Fox and NBC had plans to launch their own online video Website where visitors could watch episodes from TV shows aired on those (and other) networks, as well as movies and clips. Well, the site, which has been available to testers since October 2007, is now open to the public. It's name? Hulu!

The decision was in clear response to the popularity of YouTube.com, which was (and in fact still is) where many TV and movie clips end up. YouTube members often record the content from their TVs, then upload it to YouTube for others to view. This includes everything from funny Saturday Night Live sketches (when available), to Jay Leno's Tonight Show monologue, or even a single scene from a primetime TV show. Naturally, this fueled anger and, in some cases, lawsuits, against YouTube, claiming that it was infringing on copyrights by allowing such videos to be posted. If you're a frequent YouTube surfer, you've likely come across a "this video is no longer available" message at some point in time, which is a clear sign that someone waved a red flag.

Rather than file suit, surrender to YouTube (which is now owned by Google), or sit back with arms folded and lips pouting, Fox and NBC has taken the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude, and conjured up the idea for Hulu.com. At launch, the Associated Press claims that more than 250 full-length TV shows are available, ranging from The Simpsons to The Office; as well as 100 or so movies, like Ice Age. In all, programming will be available from over 50 different networks, movie studios, and independent Web-based content makers.

Following the YouTube mentality, the site will also feature humorous clips from movies like Napolean Dynamite and short skits from Saturday Night Live. As for revenue generation, Hulu.com will be supported by ads, and The Associated Press reports that, in some cases, viewers will be "given a choice of advertisements to watch."

I've gone on and on via this blog about how music, movie, and TV producers need to stop, smell the roses, and understand the changing face of content distribution. With this site, Fox and NBC have done just that. If I have to watch a 10-second commercial to see a video clip, so what. I'll suck it up and do it for the sake of supporting content makers. What I don't approve of is companies who throw out lawsuits and force the removal of their content without trying to figure out a way to tailor their own offerings to suit what their customers so obviously want. If you're not going to do it yourself, rest assured that somebody else will beat you to the punch line!

With that said, I excitedly clicked into http://www.hulu.com/ to check it out, and selected a Saturday Night Live clip. What did I get? A plain, black screen that contained the following somber message: "Unfortunately this video is not currently available in your country or region. We apologize for the inconvenience." Oh brother. Here we go again. So while these two big networks are offering up content online, and loyal Canadians like me are willing to support them, we're stuck in our little Canadian rut, unable to enjoy it. I guess I'll just continue to visit YouTube: supposedly that's helping to promote Canadian content regulations. And apparently so is preventing access to online content from U.S. networks. (Note my sarcasm).

I can't blame Fox and NBC for this, however, so kudos to them for making the move. It's the first major step I've seen from a movie studio to fully understand the changing face of the entertainment industry.

U.S. readers, you can access the Hulu service by simply punching in http://www.hulu.com/ into your Web browser. It's also available via AOL, Yahoo Inc., and other web portals. Canadians can visit the site as well; but visitor-beware: it'll be nothing but a tease.

MySpace Targets Canada; Again, Canadians Get the Short End of the Stick

Even if you haven’t visited MySpace before, you would have had to be living under a rock for the past few years to not know what it is. Now, the creators of this widely popular social networking Website have officially launched a dedicated Canadian MySpace site at ca.myspace.com.

The site, offered in both official languages, promotes Canadian music and artists, like Billy Talent. Advertising is also targeted to Canadians; and, according to the Globe & Mail, there are pending deals with Canadian mobile carriers to deliver MySpace to cell phones.

MySpace isn’t just targeting Canada: the company, which is owned by media behemoth News Corp., plans to roll out dedicated sites with local content all over the world, and has already made moves in China, Latin America, and South America.

This is a great idea, providing users in each country and region with a bit of local flavour while we communicate and surf. However, it also poses the same issues that arise with sites like iTunes, and major U.S. TV networks: when it comes to some really cool content, those outside of the U.S. end up getting the short end of the stick.

News Corp. and NBC are offering TV programming which can be viewed via MySpace. Great! But Canadian users can’t view it due to licensing rights. Not so great. This isn’t MySpace’s fault, but it really ticks me off. Why can’t Canada step up and realize that offering such content won’t damage our own culture?

I missed an episode of Ugly Betty a few months back, and stupidly forgot to PVR it, so I logged on to ABC.com and noticed a link that read “watch Ugly Betty online.” Alright! I clicked on it, and up came a notice: “Only viewers within the United States can watch these full-length episodes.” What?? Another fav show of mine is Showcase’s Dexter. Upon trying to access the Showcase Website, the following message popped up on-screen: SORRY! We at Showtime Online express our apologies; however, these pages are intended for access only from within the United States. Argh. So not only am I unable to view the TV episodes online, but now I can’t even see the Website! On the bright side, at least they were polite about it.

I can’t comprehend why I can watch an American TV show on my television via my Canadian cable or satellite provider; yet I am unable to watch this same show online? The same issue occurs across all types of technology. I am required to have access to special Canadian channels on my Sirius satellite radio that I never tune into at the expense of U.S. channels that I might have actually listened to?

And we wonder why the piracy rates are so high in Canada!

My point: we need to move ahead in the digital content arena, or offerings like MySpace’s dedicated Canadian site will continue to turn the meaning of “targeted” into “restrictive”.