Al Gore’s idea is a good one given the spark in citizen journalism. The puzzling notion is why the company would look for cable TV distribution. Seems to me this is a Web/IPTV-TV over the Net product. The ability to reach younger viewers (one of its stated purposes) is much better served by using the Web as a primary distribution medium.
This is not to say that cable wouldn’t provide a decent secondary channel, but just look at what’s happening in the world of citizen journalism and you’ll see a resounding consensus that the Internet is the future for such applications. Jamming a new idea down an old pipe is not the way to go.
Gore Launches TV Channel for Young Viewers
The former vice president and longtime Internet champion joined investors Monday to announce the creation of Current, a cable TV channel that will target younger viewers with a blend of news, culture and viewer-produced video.
Gore will serve as chairman of the board of the new venture, which will be based in
He and Joel Hyatt, the founder of Hyatt Legal Services who will serve as Current's chief executive, assembled an investment team that paid $70 million last year to acquire the Newsworld International channel from Vivendi International.
The channel, to launch Aug. 1, will remain privately financed and initially will be available in 19 million cable-subscriber homes
