Audio Video News

The boundary between television and the internet blurred a little further on Monday, when Hearst-Argyle Television and YouTube announced a deal that would bring local news to the popular video-sharing service.

Content will include news, sports, weather, and entertainment. Participating stations are located in Baltimore, Boston, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, and Manchester (NH).

For Google-owned YouTube, the deal is part of a longterm shift from lawsuits to partnerships, which are presumably less costly. This announcement follows an earlier ones with CBS Sports and NCAA for basketball highlights, NBC, and the Sundance Channel. YouTube has also quietly made its peace with all four major music labels: Sony BMG, Warner Music, Universal, and most recently EMI.

For Hearst, it's part of a strategy to bring TV-originated content to the net and mobile phones. In addition to local news and weather, Hearst will bring local football and basketball games to YouTube, plus what is described as "local amateur entertainment."