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Web video entrepreneurs should think before rejoicing about Wallstrip's news. Sure, the sale of the financial video site to CBS, for a rumored $5m, was a pretty quick exit, less than a year after launch. But the main attraction to Quincy Smith, the TV network's hyper-active online dealmaker, was Lindsay Campbell, Wallstrip's attractive host. Here's a wild guess: CBS wasn't so much buying a company, as buying out her contract; and I presume a portion of the purchase price is tied to her continued involvement. Wallstrip is not alone. Video content startups such as Rocketboom often depend on a star, typically female, to draw the attention of a fickle web audience. Just as TV talk shows and news programs often depend above all on the personality of the anchor. But that's a dangerous strategy: they're building up her brand more quickly than their own.
The internet's anchors
Web video entrepreneurs should think before rejoicing about Wallstrip's news. Sure, the sale of the financial video site to CBS, for a rumored $5m, was a pretty quick exit, less than a year after launch. But the main attraction to Quincy Smith, the TV network's hyper-active online dealmaker, was Lindsay Campbell, Wallstrip's attractive host. Here's a wild guess: CBS wasn't so much buying a company, as buying out her contract; and I presume a portion of the purchase price is tied to her continued involvement. Wallstrip is not alone. Video content startups such as Rocketboom often depend on a star, typically female, to draw the attention of a fickle web audience. Just as TV talk shows and news programs often depend above all on the personality of the anchor. But that's a dangerous strategy: they're building up her brand more quickly than their own.
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2:10 PM on Tue May 22 2007
By Nick Denton
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