Reuters is launching a video Affiliate Network pilot programme which will enable blogs, news organisations and other online publishers to offer Reuters news videos on their websites. The video material will be viewable on a media player embedded on the host website (this means viewers will not have to download software to watch the video); video coverage will be updated throughout the day.

Stephen Smyth, vice-president of Reuters' media division, commented as follows on the reasoning behind the initiative: "What we want to do is offer another approach (to content distribution) and following the trends, we want to take advantage of the growing use of online video."

Smyth also asserted that the pilot aims to "broaden Reuters' audience, boost its brand and take advantage of the growing online advertising market."

During the pilot period websites participating in the intiative will be offered the video player free of charge, although there may be some adds. When it is launched commercially, participants will be able to choose between showing video material with adds, or paying a license fee.

ZD Net reports that rivals of Reuters, the Associated Press (AP) and CBS, have both announced deals for online distribution of video material. CBS news video will appear on AOL, while AP is reportedly to launch, with Microsoft's MSN, an ad-based online video network for web sites that subscribe to the wire service.

Source: ZD Net, Reuters