DECA

BusinessWeek’s Jon Fine wrote about DECA’s business model this week. Here’s an excerpt:

The thing about Web video, of course, is that anyone can do it. Shoot it, edit it, distribute it on YouTube and other outlets—done. Assuming, of course, that “distribute” means “put it alongside zillions of similar things.” This is partly why building a Web video business is tough, as even showbiz vets have discovered. Infinite competition and uncertain ad demand for unproven Web properties make the 21st century dream—a hit online video series, or at least one that pulls in steady dollars— all but impossible. Unless you invert aspects of the traditional model, as a two-year-old Santa Monica (Calif.) Web video outfit called Deca does.

In other industry news, here’s what we were reading:

• JetBlue Marketing: YouTube Stars Promote New LAX Route - AdAge
• Fox, iPhone team on ‘Family Guy’ app - Variety
• Studios-Backed Web Video Efforts Stalled for Now; Who’s Left? - paidContent
  

Here’s what we were reading this week:

• Carl’s Jr. Makes New Kind of Network Buy - Adweek (See Smosh’s sponsored Carl’s Jr. video above, or watch it on YouTube.)
• Sugar Acquires Shopflick - NewTeeVee
• YouTube Launches XL: Browser-Based TV - NewTeeVee
• Tremor Media Touts New Web Video Ad Format - Mediaweek
• U.S. Video Views Up 16% in April to New High - NewTeeVee
• Digital Power 2009 includes DECA in its list of the 50 most powerful digital media entities - The Hollywood Reporter

This week, we kept tabs on the D7 conference from afar, and Michael was profiled by TVWeek. Here’s what we were reading:

• Cuban: Google Ruined Online Video for All of Us - NewTeeVee
• Zucker: Hulu Will Break Even “Soon” - NewTeeVee
• Payoff Over a Web Sensation Is Elusive - New York Times
• Web Star-Ups Look Beyond Ads for Revenue - New York Times
• Digital Dealmakers: Michael Wayne - TVWeek
  

Each week at DECA, we read dozens of news articles that span online video and web industry news, and starting this week, we’ll post a few of our favorites here. This week, we’re reading:

• Report Likens Twitter To TiVo: More Hype Than Reality - MediaPost
• Twitter Surges Past Digg, LinkedIn, And NYTimes.com With 32 Million Global Visitors - TechCrunch
• ESPN Comes to YouTube - And Brings Its Own Player and Pre-Roll Ads - ReadWriteWeb
• Beyond Clicks And CPMs: A Look At ‘Engagement’-Based Ad Deals - paidContent
• Seven Video Content Pioneers to Watch - ClickZ (DECA is on this list - check out other press on the DECA Press page)