The annual meeting of the world's media powers in Idaho (of all places) has been taken by storm by Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, the founders of YouTube, according to the Associated Press. This could
prove to be a very important week indeed for the likes of YouTube and other young media companies, as the spotlight in Idaho this year is placed squarely on young innovators, according to the
Associated Press "There is a big wave of video coming online and these (media) guys want to work with us to stay relevant in this changing marketplace," Hurley told AP. Other promising newcomers
include Blake Kirkorian, CEO of Sling Media Inc, which makes the Slingbox, a device that replays programming from your home TV to any Internet-connected computer carrying the software. A few years
ago, many of the old guard in the audience might have appealed to the FCC to keep upstarts like YoutTube and Slingbox at bay, but "now there seems to be a realization that it makes more sense to try
to live with [these upstarts]" than to try and to stifle them. "It's been really refreshing to see that some of these leaders are becoming pretty progressive in their thinking," said Kirkorian, who
started Sling Media two years ago. Whereas the new boys in town are receiving their first invite after being only a few years old, the Google guys didn't get an invite until the company was nearly
five years old. Now, Hurley and co. are getting to rub shoulders with the likes of CBS' Les Moonves and Disney's Bob Iger, where a one-on-one chat could result in the next major new deal. Both Hurley
and Kirkorian will have a chance to make another impression when they make their presentations on Saturday.
Read the whole story at Associated Press »