&c1=usa&c2=(none)&c3=The+Guardian&c4=Digital+media,Media,Technology,Telecoms+(Technology),Business&c5=&c6=Richard+Wray&c7=2008_05_13){kind=small}
- The Guardian, Tuesday May 13 2008
A spiritualist who "feels vibrations in his aura" when making contact, a healer who claims to cure hangovers through touch and self-styled sex therapist Dr Cockney are among the wannabe TV celebrities who have won the backing of BT.
The telecoms company will today announce the full consumer launch of BT Podshow, an online TV portal which allows people to create their own television and radio serials and earn a living by linking their shows with advertisers.
The service is a joint venture with US-based Podshow, in which the backers of Google and YouTube have invested, and which has been running for several months. It has over 1m hours of content.
The two companies signed their original deal in September 2006 and, since then, Podshow has been looking for British talent and helping with production costs.
Several Podshows, such as Dr Cockney's take on sexual matters, are doing well on iTunes. BT Podshow is also in talks with This Morning's Dr Chris Steele, and working with OK magazine on a weekly programme. Traditional television channels have also been in touch about licensing Podshow content for use on digital TV.
Creators and viewers of Podshows have to register and shows are regularly updated. BT Podshow hopes this will make the site attractive to advertisers who have so far avoided online video.
"We are what we call a brand-safe network," said BT Podshow president Adam Curry. "There is an expectation about what is going to be delivered, an advertiser won't just find themselves next to a video of someone shooting a firecracker out of his bum."
