Another Broadcast Network Puts TV Content on Web

CBS has joined the fray and will be putting television content on the web with its new unit, EyeLab. The twist is that they will re-purpose the content into smaller clips instead of simply making full-length episodes available online.

According to the Wall Street Journal,

CBS says the inspiration for EyeLab came from a video posted on YouTube last year called "Endless Caruso One Liners." The clip, posted by a 27-year-old British man under the screen name "stewmurray47," is a montage of scenes from "CSI: Miami," showing star David Caruso uttering his characteristically pat catchphrases from the scene of the crime. The clip, just over seven minutes long, has been viewed more than a million times, according to YouTube.

CBS executive Quincy Smith, president of CBS Interactive, said in the WSJ article:

preliminary network research shows that less than a third of CBS's Web audience
is interested in watching full-length episodes of shows online.

They are hoping that in addition to finding these re-purposed clips entertaining enough to sustain a model where advertisements are embedded, the content will also promote the network broadcasts.