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 All news should be considered an unconfirmed report unless verified, and all information published at KISS Asylum is attributed to the source from which it was received so that readers may judge the validity of the statements for themselves. All information is confirmed where possible, and all publication is governed by common sense.
From: GENESIMMONS.com No Good TV is a new web video network geared to 18-34 year-old men, or perhaps I should say boys, because its appeal is clearly to guys who enjoy fart-jokes and rock’n'roll more than high culture. But then again, what else can you expect from a company that has the old KISS guitarist GENE SIMMONS, you know with the tongue, as an investor and Chairman of the Board? NGTV balances on the very edge of bad taste, but it’s certainly a whole new kind of web video experience. Unlike YouTube and along the lines of the hyped online TV service Joost, NGTV aims to have the look and feel of professionally produced television, but totally uncensored and with interactive and animated components. "Quality programming is our thing, unlike all the user-generated content sites that are out there. We are trying to give MTV and HBO a run for its money", says Kourosh Taj, Co-President and Head of Programming. While the comparison to HBO seems a little far-fetched, NGTV certainly looks better than most original web TV networks I have seen out there. Like HBO, NGTV embraces the fact that they can use the work "fuck", but takes it too a whole other level. You'll see what I mean. The channel promotes itself as "the world’s largest producer of uncensored celebrity news and entertainment programming". The on-air hosts Carrie Keagan and Shark Firestone are joined by CG animated NGTV mascots, including Cock Tolstoy, a rooster with an attitude problem and Beaver Brown, a furry, fun loving beaver. The cock and the beaver – NGTV prides itself on being sophomoric: "We are all about having fun, but never cross the line of being aggressive or angry. We are not a gossip rag. We want celebrities to come here and feel welcome. This is a place where it is appropriate to let loose", says Kourosh Taj. The freedom that the Internet as a platform provides, has also allowed NGTV to dig into libraries of content not appropriate for many regular TV-channels. "For example, I think that we have the largest library of R-rated music videos and we keep on adding over 10,000 hours of original content a month", says Kourosh Taj. In order to start promoting the site for its official launch this summer, NGTV have started uploading a few clips from their shows to YouTube. "The response on YouTube has been amazing. Some days we have had the most viewed clips on all of YouTube", says Kourosh Taj. Unlike many of the traditional TV-channels, NGTV fully embraces social media and they totally believe in its power to drive traffic back to their site. "We are absolutely fans of putting our stuff everywhere. We think its great when people hi-jack our stuff and put it on their sites. It is the greatest compliment we can get and it still has our branding all over it", says Kourosh Taj. But how can you monetize this new viral would if people "steal" your stuff? "We don’t want consumers to have to pay for our content, that’s why we like the ad-supported model. We have also seen that the traffic flow that we have been getting back to our site from the stuff we have put on YouTube has been great. As many as 3 our of 4 people that view our stuff on YouTube end up checking out our site and staying as long as 10-15 minutes on an average", says Kourosh Taj. Other plans for monetizing NGTV includes sponsored content and licencing. The beta site is the first phase of a multi-platform launch that encompasses television, mobile and broadband distribution along with a next generation social-networking site set for release later this year. "I can see our shows being licensed to regular cable TV channels. It’ll be fun, like The Osbournes, where they have to bleep out every other word, but the effect of that can be kind of cool, which that show proved", says Kourosh Taj. "Artists need a platform to express themselves freely. It’s the reason artists become artists in the first place and the reason fans become fans. We have created an appropriate place that allows self-expression without of censorship and humiliation. This is a first of its kind experience," said Kourosh Taj. The NGTV team is backed by several entertainment industry veterans, including GENE SIMMONS, entrepreneur and rock legend, Al Cafaro, music industry veteran and former Chairman and CEO of A&M Records, and Jay Vir, who serves as the Co-President. Simmons also serves as Chairman of the Board of NGTV. In Canada, NGTV’s marketing partner is Intertainment Media, Inc. Headquartered in a 24,000 square foot production facility in Beverly Hills, NGTV boasts a umber of major technology partners, including Akamai, Brightcove, DoubleClick, Avid, Sun Microsystems, Digidesign, IBM and StorageTek. Each has supported the company in the development and implementation of its infrastructure, programming and distribution platforms. The result – take a look and judge for yourself. NGTV |
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