NBC, why Didja have to come up with such a bad site?
While NBC Universal and News Corp. struggle to launch (and name) their online-video venture, NBC has decided, on its own, to lay siege to YouTube from another angle. Demonstrating exactly how well old media understands new media, NBC's USA Network is launching an online-video destination site for... wait for it... advertising! It's a brilliant, sure-to-fail idea.
That's right. In the age of Tivo commercial-skipping, Chris McComber, USA Network's senior VP of marketing, actually claims, "We know people like watching commercials." Yes, but these commercials? Didja — purportedly short for "Did you see that?" and not a reference to Frank Zappa's 'Didja Get Any Onya?' — may actually be too crass to work online. The site may be pure, unadulterated advertising revenue, but it's doubtful to become a popular entertainment destination.
The occasional television special highlighting the best and funniest ads? Sure. A website dedicated to any and all commercials? Not happening anytime soon. Literally. NBC says that Didja's launch will be held up until some time next year, after the release of the already-delayed, unnamed video joint venture with News Corp. Corporate antisynergy at its finest.