YouTube to Finally Receive Original, High-Quality, Non-User-Generated Content?

After a mountain of speculation, the Wall Street Journal is providing us with MORE speculation! Last March, word started to spread that Google GOOG was looking for Hollywood talent to bring fresh and original (and presumably scripted) content to YouTube. The news quickly died down after the initial stream of reports, but not without a few additional rumors coming to light. The most interesting – and, perhaps, the most horrifying – involved Google's desire to acquire Hulu. Google still wants Hulu, but it seems that the company is determined to fight for original content with or without a powerful acquisition. According to the Wall Street Journal (via TechCrunch), Google is close to finalizing deals with News Corp's NWSA ShineReveille unit (best known for Ugly Betty), FremantleMedia (currently known for The X Factor), BermanBraun (which has produced shows for SyFy), and IAC's IACI Electus (which produces Mob Wives for VH1). While these companies have had some success, they are hardly Hollywood's elite. Compared to the big players in television (such as Bad Robot, J.J. Abrams' production company), Google's potential partners look like the cast of Dancing with the Stars: you recognize them, but you really don't care. Google is also looking to sign a deal with Tony Hawk, which might very well be the most hilarious thing I've ever heard. Here we have a guy who made millions and became nationally famous because he starred in a video game. That game, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, was once a cash cow for Activision ATVI. But it's not anymore. Even if it were, that hardly solidifies the Tony Hawk brand as being one that people crave. His games sold well (and amplified the Tony Hawk name) because they were fun and innovative. Are you telling me that his video content will be equally as fun and innovative? I doubt it. And even if it is, how is Google going to get us to watch it? It's a lot harder to get Average Joes and Average Janes to watch a show about something as niche as skateboarding than it is to get a PlayStation owner to pick up a controller and try something new. Google is going after this so-called “talent” because it sees a future where it can compete with the big players of cable and network TV. I, for one, would love to see Google rise up as a fifth network to compete with ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS CBS – but only if the company is serious about this, and is willing to fully separate YouTube from its original (scripted) content. If it wishes to keep the two together, there will always be problems, as I explained last July. Follow me @LouisBedigian