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by Patrick Goss
CBS has become the latest US broadcaster to offer
full length programmes over YouTube, but UK viewers will not be
able to beat the crowds as the service is limited to over the
pond.
With HBO and CBS already experimenting with the
popular video site, CBS are now content to offer classic shows
like Star Trek and more modern fare like Ghost Whisperer online.
UK broadcasters have certainly been no slouch in this
area, with a huge array of online content available
including the hugely popular BBC iPlayer, but those viewers
hoping to skip the wait for new American series by watching them
legally are out of luck.
Blocked
The YouTube channels currently filter by geographical
location and block non-US visitors accessing the programmes,
leaving people with a long wait or moral decision on whether to
access the content illegally.
This is obviously because of the huge revenues
generated by selling the programmes to foreign broadcasters.
However, the writing appears to be on the wall for
lengthy waits for television series, with stations catching on
to the fact that the longer they leave it, the more people seek
alternative options.
Many UK broadcasters are now airing programmes on our
televisions just days or weeks after they are first broadcast in
the US, such as the new series of Heroes, which has less than a
month's lag on our stateside friends.
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