Current TV
Eric Swanson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Current TV is an Emmy award-winning independent media company led by
former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and businessman Joel Hyatt. The
cable television network went on the air at midnight EDT (4:00 UTC) on
the morning of August 1, 2005. A second network, operated in the
United Kingdom and Ireland started its operation March 12, 2007, for
Sky and Virgin Media subscribers. A third network, operated in Italy
started its operation February 8, 2008, for SKY Italia subscribers and
later for 3 subscribers.
Current TV features "pods", or short programs, of which a portion are
created by viewers and users.
An experimental Canadian show called ZeD was the first programmed
broadcast of user-generated video content.[1] Other inspiration for
Current TV came from a 1990s series on MTV called UNfiltered, where
the network sent cameras to viewers in order to report on stories they
thought were important. Current TV is the first American 24-hour
network based around viewer-created content, which it dubs VC2.
Contents
1 Programs
2 History
3 Detention of Current TV journalists by the DPRK in March 2009
4 Hosts
5 References
6 External links
Programs
Users (called VC2 Producers) contribute three-to-seven-minute "pods",
which are on a variety of subject matter. The content is filtered by
registered users, on Current's website through a voting process, but
pods are ultimately approved or disapproved by Current's on-air
programming department, VC2 makes up a portion of the material aired
on the channel. Users can also create Viewer Created Ad Messages, or V-
CAMs and Current TV promos which are small promotions for either
Current TV or the general topic of VC2. The channel has exclusive
broadcast rights for all media in perpetuity on viewer-submitted pods,
and in some cases outright ownership of the pod and its raw footage,
although this is negotiated on a pod by pod basis.
Along with a plethora of VC2 content, Current also produces a variety
of programs internally, including:
infoMania is a weekly produced half-hour satirical news show covering
politics and other big news stories; similar to The Soup and The Daily
Show.
Vanguard is Current's in-house journalism department, consisting of a
team of young producers and correspondents who specialize in
enterprising reporting on global issues. In addition to contributing
original pods to Current's daily shuffle, Vanguard airs a weekly half-
hour program of longer and more in depth pieces.
Hosts on Current TV appear in a set based on The Chemosphere, built by
American architect John Lautner in 1960.[2]
SuperNews! airs on Current TV.
Current recently launched Current:News, an hourly news broadcast with
news stories submitted and voted for by its online community.
Current TV also gives viewers a chance to win �ｿｽ1000 for making a VCAM
(advertisement).
History
After the 2000 U.S. presidential election, Gore and Hyatt wanted to
start a conventional cable news network. They were disenchanted with
the existing networks, especially CNN. The plan evolved into making a
viewer-generated channel aimed at an audience demographic age 18�ｿｽ34.
On May 4, 2004, INdTV Holdings, a company co-founded by Gore and Joel
Hyatt, purchased cable news channel NewsWorld International (NWI) from
Vivendi Universal for the express purpose of launching their new
network with the space on some digital cable lineups (and DirecTV)
that NWI had. The new network would not have political leanings, Gore
said, but would serve as an "independent voice" for a target audience
of people between 18 and 34 "who want to learn about the world in a
voice they recognize and a view they recognize as their own." Other
reports said that Gore hoped that the channel would help change the
tide of "consolidation and conglomeratization" of the media by leading
the change to "democratization." The news network was said to be a
combination between CNN, MTV, and blipverts.
In the summer of 2004, Gore and Hyatt announced their new network,
christened INdTV, with a series of public recruitment events. The
first of these events was held at the Bambuddha Lounge in San
Francisco's Tenderloin, on August 25. On April 4, 2005, the former
Vice President and business partner Hyatt announced that they had
changed the name of the network from INdTV to Current. The new
television network launched in the United States on August 1, 2005.
Currently, the network is available in 30 million homes nationwide in
the US, with plans underway for several international versions.
On September 20, 2006, Current TV started a short-lived partnership
with Yahoo to supply topic-specific "channels" to the Yahoo Video
website. Called the Yahoo! Current Network, the first four channels,
"Current Buzz", "Current Traveler" "Current Action" (about action
sports) and "Current Driver" quickly became the most popular videos on
the Yahoo Video web site. There were Yahoo branded segments on Current
TV, similar to the Google Current segments. Additional web channels
were planned. However, on December 6, 2006, Yahoo and Current TV
announced the end of their relationship.[3] Madeline Smithberg, co-
creator of The Daily Show, was the Executive Producer for this
project.
On October 6, 2006, a deal was announced with British Sky Broadcasting
to create a localized UK and Ireland version of Current TV to its
satellite systems in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This version went
live on March 12, 2007.[4] The channel launched on Sky EPG number 229
and Virgin Media Channel 155.
In 2007, Current TV started VoD service on Virgin Media.
On September 16, 2007, Current TV won an Emmy award for Best
Interactive Television Service at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. This
was the first year in which this Emmy was presented during the
primetime broadcast. The award was presented by Masi Oka of Heroes
fame and MySpace founder Tom Anderson (through their own computers),
and Al Gore and Joel Hyatt accepted the award on their behalf.[5]
On February 8, 2008, it was announced that the network will be also
available on the Italian SKY Italia satellite digital platform on
channel 130. According to the official website, broadcast has started
on 8 May 2008.[6]
On June 6, 2008, it was announced that the network will be also
available on the Italian 3 DVB-H mobile operator, as free of charge.
[7]
Current TV partnered with Twitter for the 2008 Presidential and Vice-
Presidential debates, allowing viewers watching the Current TV version
of the debates to post live on Twitter and have their opinions shown
on screen, live.
On 28 January, 2009 Current Media Inc, revealed it intended to launch
an IPO on the NASDAQ to raise $100m (�ｿｽ67m), but it told US regulators
over Easter that it was scrapping the plan due to "current market
conditions." [8] The company added that no securities had been sold
and all activity regarding the proposed public offering had been
"discontinued". [9]
Detention of Current TV journalists by the DPRK in March 2009
The North Korean military has detained two American journalists
working for Current TV after they allegedly crossed into North Korea
from China.[10]
"Two reporters working for a U.S.-based Internet news media outlet,
including a Korean American, were detained by North Korean authorities
earlier this week, and they remain in custody there," said Yonhap news
agency, quoting an unnamed diplomatic source. Reports say that the
journalists were both warned several times by the N. Korean military,
about crossing the border.[11]
The two female journalists are Korean American Euna Lee and Chinese
American Laura Ling of Current TV based in California in the United
States. Lee is the editor of the news for Current TV and Ling is one
of the agency's reporters. They were said to have been shooting a
video of the border region of China and N. Korea when they were
arrested at the Tumen River. Laura Ling is the sister of well known
CNN reporter Lisa Ling.
The U.S. says they are concerned about the incident.
"We're aware of reports that early in the morning of March 17, China
time, two American citizens were taken into custody across the Tumen
river by what appear to be North Korean border guards. We are working
with Chinese government officials in that particular area to ascertain
the whereabouts and welfare of the Americans in question. We've also
been in touch with North Korean officials to express our concern about
the situation," said U.S. State Department spokesman, Fred Lash.
On March 30, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the state news
agency of North Korea, reported that preparations were under way for
indictments and a trial, saying, "The illegal entry of US reporters
into the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and their
suspected hostile acts have been confirmed by evidence and their
statements."[12][13] The two will face trial on June 4.[14]
According to Kim Tae-woo of the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis,
�ｿｽThe journalists considerably weakened their government�ｿｽs leverage
against the North,�ｿｽ in ongoing negotiations over the DPRK's nuclear
program.[15]
Hosts
Adam Yamaguchi �ｿｽ Vanguard Correspondent
Amaya Brecher �ｿｽ Left Current TV and now co-hosts Cosmic Sutra and
Stargazing on Karma Air.[16][17] Previously on Real World Hawaii.
Angela Sun
Anne Foy
Ben Hoffman
Brett Erlich �ｿｽ Campaign Update, Viral Video Film School
Christof Putzel �ｿｽ Vanguard Correspondent
Conor Knighton
Crystal Fambrini
Donna Ruko
Douglas Caballero
Elizabeth Chambers
Gotham Chopra
Graeme Smith (Radio DJ and TV Presenter)
Jael de Pardo
Jason Silva (of "Max and Jason" fame)
Joe Hanson - Joe Gets, What's Wrong With; no longer a part of Current
TV
Justin Gunn
Kaj Larsen - Vanguard Correspondent
Kinga Philipps
Laura Ling - Vanguard Correspondent
Layla Kayleigh - No longer a part of Current TV. She was initially
hired as a host, but was terminated before the network went to air for
doing a photo shoot with the magazine Maxim. She hosted a segment
called the "The Feed" on G4's Attack of the Show.
Mariana van Zeller - Vanguard Correspondent
Max Lugavere (of "Max and Jason" fame)
Michelle Lombardo
Milo McCabe
Nick Carter - a.k.a MURS, an underground hip-hop artist
Nzinga Blake
Rawley Valverde
Rowly Dennis
Sarah Haskins
Scott Logan (TV Presenter and Actor)
Sergio Cilli
Shauntay Hinton - Left Current TV and now hosts on the Fine Living
Channel
Zara Martin (TV Presenter and Actress)
Anthony Marshall
References
1. ^ http://wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,67205,00.html
2. ^ http://www.johnlautner.org/current.html
3. ^
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/interactive/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003468568
4. ^ http://www.c21media.net/resources/detail.asp?area=100&article=34439
5. ^ Al Gore joins Emmy parade, Variety.com, Sep. 13, 2007, 4:56pm PT
6. ^ Scopri di pi�ｿｽ su Current TV (Italian)
7. ^ 3 Italia: gratis Rai, Mediaset e Current (Italian) La Stampa
8. ^ "Current TV cancels float due to 'market conditions'". Broadcast.
2009-04-14.
http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/multichannel/2009/04/current_tv_cancels_float_due_to_market_conditions.html.
9. ^ "Al Gore's Current Media abandons plans for NYSE listing". Media
Week. 2009-04-14.
http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/898262/Al-Gores-Current-Media-abandons-plans-NYSE-listing/.
10. ^
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/22/laura-ling-euna-lee-detai_n_177725.html
11. ^
http://www.upiasia.com/Politics/2009/03/19/n_korea_tests_us_over_detained_reporters/3540/
12. ^ US reporters face N Korea trial (BBC)
13. ^ Huffington Post March 30, 2009
14. ^ "N Korea to try reporters in June". BBC News. 2009-05-14.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8049238.stm. Retrieved on
2009-05-18.
15. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/world/asia/03korea.html
16. ^ karmaair.com
17. ^ Karma Air page on Stargazing
External links
Official site
ilikemusic.com Interview with Current TV Music Team -- ilikemusic.com
'Betting a Network on Youths Who Think' -- New York Times article
Current TV at one year -- Associated Press
'All Eyes on The Shins' -- Wired Magazine
'The Other Man Behind Current TV' -- Broadcasting and Cable article on
Current's CEO Joel Hyatt
-- Variety
Current TV's V-CAMs (Viewer Created Ad Messages) -- Adweek
Current TV Tops 50 MM Subs -- Multichannel News
Al Gore's Low Voltage Network
Behind the Scenes at Current TV - Saturday Night Magazine (October
2008)
Interview with Robin Sloan, New Media Director at Current,
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_TV"
This page was last modified on 19 May 2009, at 20:10 (UTC).
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