YouTube - Vudu - NYTimes.com - TV Guide - Viacom - MediaBytes 12.11.2007

YOUTUBE has opened its revenue-sharing program to the general public and is accepting applications on YouTube.com. The site will only grant “partner” status to frequent contributors that have built up a YouTube audience while not violating the site’s terms of use. YouTube says partners with over a million views are earning thousands of dollars per month using the program.

VUDU will offer the first high-def download available on the same day as a DVD release. The movie service will sell “The Bourne Ultimatum” from Universal Pictures as HD download-to-own and soon add HD content from Paramount Pictures and Lionsgate. Vudu will also begin selling TV shows from Fox including 24, Arrested Development, Family Guy and more.

NYTIMES.COM has seen a 64% surge in traffic since August, mostly due to dropping the Times Select “walled garden.” Between August and October, the site picked up 7.5 million additional readers, bringing its total to 19.4 million. During that time page views jumped 52% to 181 million. 4.9 million readers were added in October alone, the first full month without paid access.

TV GUIDE NETWORK plans to insert localized content and new features by distributing thousands of video-processing devices to cable operators. Solekai Systems is designing the boxes, which will be capable of transcoding video and overlaying graphics while being managed centrally via software. The system will allow the TV Guide Network to offer operator-specific content for even very small cable systems.

VIACOM suffered a minor labor shutdown yesterday as over 100 freelancers walked off the job and began picketing outside company headquarters in Time Square. The media conglomerate recently announced cutbacks in benefits - just in time for the holiday season. The workers staged an hour-long protest, calling for health care, dental care and access to 401(k) plans. Then, they went back to work.