The AP Finds Traction on YouTube with 77 Million Views....New York Times has 11 Million

In June, YouTube announced a category of content creators called Reporters.  The Associated Press, the world's largest news organization, which has made a decision to place many of its news clips on YouTube, has found a growing audience.  Since it began in March, it has over 12,000 clips up as of today.The AP is finding considerable traction. It is the second most subscribed to "Reporter" channel on YouTube.  AP videos have been viewed 77 million times.

The New York Times has over 8,000 clips up on its YouTube reporters channel. It ranks as 15th most subscribed.  The Times clips have had 11 million views on YouTube.

Not everyone on the Reporter channel is well a, eh, reporter.  The most subscribed to reporter is psychetruth, a self-help series hosted by a a very attractive young woman with the name "Asian Girl."

A number of notable journalists have been setting up Reporter channels on YouTube including CNN's Rick Sanchez, The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof and Kara Swisher of AllThingsD.  This will surely expand.  As YouTube gains traction with advertisers, it could be revenue source for news organizations, not just a brand extension experiment.  We shall see.

Happy New Year Everyone -- Welcome to 2009 in New Zealand!  Posted above is the Associated Press video from Auckland of the New Year's festivities which just took earlier today where it is tomorrow now.

AP is hit on iPhone Too

Time magazine has just named AP's iPhone App one of the 10 best tech innovations of 2008.

-- Andy Plesser, Executive Producer