Continuing its aggressive push to convince the world that YouTube video content is better than TV, the online video giant is rumored to be launching paid subscriptions for specialist video channels as soon as this week, the Financial Times reports.

YouTube has said it was “looking into creating a subscription platform that could bring even more great content to YouTube for our users to enjoy and provide our creators with another vehicle to generate revenue from their content, beyond the rental and ad-supported models we offer.” 

The preeminent global video site has long-since evolved from its user-generated roots into a platform that every major company and marketer is looking to leverage with professional-grade content. With an audience of one billion, YouTube and its content partners are looking to create another revenue stream besides the site's burgeoning ad platform. "This is a whole new form of content, content delivery and content consumption," said DreamWorks CEO Jeffery Katzenberg in Business Insider. "It's the medium of the future and the future has already arrived. Video is becoming the global shared experience."Continue reading...

ESPN apologizes for comments by commentator after NBA player announces he's gay.

Honda recalls almost 46,000 Fits in North America.

Chrysler sees profit tumble on poorly executed product launches.

Alibaba and Sina form alliance of China online businesses.

Apple files for new technology that tells whether to text or call friends.

Asos prepares marketing drive to grow global brand.

BP reviews safety after oil leak in North Sea.

Best Buy sells Europe unit back to Carphone Warehouse.

BlackBerry CEO questions future of tablets (which brand doesn't have).Continue reading...

Coca-Cola appoints SVP of integrated marketing Wendy Clark (right) to new role as SVP of its newly created a Global Sparkling Brand Center, combining its global brand and integrated marketing teams under her leadership.

AccuWeather named Jim Candor as chief strategy officer, Steven Smith as chief digital officer, and John Dokes as chief marketing officer.

Conde Nast promoted CMO Louis Cona to president and chief revenue officer of the media group. 

Crocs hired Andy Sackmann as CMO.

Dockers hired Adrienne Lofton Shaw as vice president and CMO.Continue reading...

HP board shakeup and chairman exit gives CEO Meg Whitman a chance to shake off troubles.

BP faults Deepwater Horizon claims overseer, launches first brand-wide fuel loyalty program.

BMW prepares X4 crossover for U.S. market, makes vehicles greener with fewer cylinders, less gasoline.

Al Jazeera America hires CNN's Ali Velshi as anchor.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos leads $5 million investment round in Henry Blodget's Business Insider.

Apple reportedly signs music labels for streaming service as Google's YouTube clinches deal with Universal Music.

Best Buy may have turned the tide on showrooming Amazon.Continue reading...

More and more TV viewers are turning to the web for their audio-visual pleasures, streaming shows and movies from such places as Hulu, Netflix, and AppleTV, among a growing list of others. 

YouTube, of course, is the grandpa of the online video-entertainment biz and is refusing to take a backseat to all the Johnny-come-latelys that are making their moves now. In the past year, YouTube owner Google has invested more than $100 million in 100 original channels to invite brands and professional producers create original high-quality content for the site. Even though viewership numbers weren’t particularly high, the site is shelling out some big bucks again, but this time to only 30 or 40 of those content creators, according to AllThingsD.com.

The metric of most interest to YouTube (and parent Google) execs is “the total ‘watch time’ a channel has generated” as well as cost, AllThingsD reports. The site’s top 25 channels averaged more than a million views a week, Ad Age reports, and “the top 33 have more than 100,000 subscribers, a key indicator of repeat viewing.”Continue reading...

It’s hard to do serious damage to an institution that is doing great work toward putting an end to breast cancer, one of the world’s leading reasons for women dying. But it turned out that all it took was for Susan G. Komen for the Cure to say it was going to stop sending some cash over to a fellow nonprofit focused on women’s health, Planned Parenthood.

That decision proved to be controversial, seriously damaging for the Komen name and resulted in a lot of good PR and cash donations to Planned Parenthood. Komen eventually decided to re-instate the dough for Planned Parenthood but not before lots of donors had already sworn off giving more funds to Komen.

The whole thing is now back in the news thanks to this month's release of Planned Bullyhood, a book by former Susan G. Komen for the Cure vice president for public policy Karen Handel, who resigned in the midst of the turmoil. According to the Daily Caller, her new book is receiving some “pushback from Democratic National Committee chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Republican strategist Karl Rove.”

Komen, of course, would like the whole thing to go away so it can go about rebuilding its brand — and continue to put the hurt on breast cancer. One effective way to fight the good fight is to partner with a brand known for its brawn: WWE, whose start wrestler John Cena is hleping promote pink and black Komen-branded gear, on sale through October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.Continue reading...

Comedy Central partners with Urban Outfitters on Indecision 2012 collection.

7-11, Walmart, Target and other big retailers team up on mobile wallet to combat Google Wallet.

Apple reportedly in talks with U.S. cable operators to develop a set-top box; and takes a swing at Amazon.

Johnson & Johnson launches ingredient transparency website for baby and beauty products as J&J removes formaldehyde from products.

Bumbo foam child seats recalled following injuries.

Calvin Klein sued by Lululemon for alleged patent infringement.

Chick-fil-A uproar may have inspired gunman.Continue reading...

Social media has long been a digital driver for the hybrid sport/entertainment brand that is World Wrestling Entertainment. WWE now boasts more than 73 million Facebook fans, 30 million Twitter followers, one billion video views on YouTube and an average of 50 trending topics weekly on Twitter. 

Now WWE has tapped social video startup Tout to leverage and amplify WWE’s assets including television, live events, digital and print. The partnership has helped the WWE garner 100 million fans globally. One of them — 27-year-old Alex Guerrero, Jr, from San Antonio, Texas — became WWE's 100 millionth fan, winning a free trip to Monday Night Raw’s 1,000th episode on USA Network, which is broadcasting live tonight from St. Louis, Mo.Continue reading...