Current TV and Al Gore and the UK

Al Gore, the guy who created the Internet, that one?

Sky is to launch Al Gore’s US user-generated content TV channel Current in the UK and Ireland following a deal with the former US vice-president.

The deal was announced today by BSkyB CEO James Murdoch and Gore. Gore is planning to design Current TV content specifically for the UK and Irish market, so viewers can submit their videos via Current’s website in the same way they do in the US. Plus some of the UK content may also be shown in the US and other international territories.

Gore is eventually planning to roll Current out to other international territories. He called today’s deal with Sky “a big step in fulfilling our mission of sparking a global conversation among young adults.”
The channel originally launched in the US in August 2005 and contains short-form, non-fiction programming called pods which explore youth interest subjects such as technology, fashion, music, videogames, relationships, politics, finance and parenting.
It is estimated that 30% of the US network is created by viewers.

So when’s it coming here? Someone asked Martin Dalgliesh (PBL, owner’s of Channel Nine) that at the last F.E.D night but no go. Whatever you think of user generated crap, it can’t be worse than chequebook journalism in Papua New Guinea, or vote-a-git off Reality TV can it? Hmm… CAN IT?

I went and had a look at http://www.current.tv/ but it plays sooo slowly with my UnWired broadband connection. Grrrrr. At least I can read all about it on Wiki. 🙁

Technorati Tags Online Communities, User Generated Content, Al Gore, Current TV