Youtoo Will Put You on National TV: Are You Down?

No, that's not a typo. Youtoo is an innovative new social networking program that will allow users to record 15 second videos of themselves, upload them to the site, and watch them on cable television in between reruns of "The X-Files" and '60s "Batman." (If you follow the rules, of course.)

Youtoo's website reads, "Today’s social networks only allow you to interact with your friends or followers. But Youtoo allows you to interact with millions on national TV. Plus, it integrates with your current social network so you can share your Yootoo experience with friends ... Youtoo TV is currently in 15 million cable households in the US and growing fast. Just like any other cable network, you have to look up Youtoo TV on your cable guide."

For now, the videos will take over ALN, a retro television station with about 15 million subscribers that has been rebranding itself since it was founded in 1985. On Tuesday, the channel renamed itself Youtoo TV in order to emphasize the new program, which Youtoo claims will put up to 150,000 people on national television in its first year.

Obviously users can't post any old thing they want -- or there would a good chance it would turn into a televised version of Chatroulette, if you know what we mean. Offensive language, "lewd behavior," "hate speech," and legally questionable material (e.g. lyrics, external clips, trademarked images) are strictly prohibited, and each video will be reviewed by a broadcast standards department to ensure the videos don't get out of hand.

Analysts suspect the medium will be popular with self-promoters, which could work for and against Youtoo. It will be interesting to see how all the inevitable grass-roots commercials turn out, but if they turn out to be awful it could quickly turn off users.

USA Today reports their long term goal is to sell the technology to other broadcast companies and, hopefully, inspire networks with broader audiences to embrace the technology. Producer Mark Burnett told them, "It seems obvious, but someone's got to do it."