Russell Simmons, hip-hop mogul and TV producer, told an audience in Las Vegas that he's signing YouTube sensations to star in programs on a new YouTube channel called All Def Digital.
ADD will be launching in the spring and offering everything from music to scripted programs for the "hip-hop culture," according to the Los Angeles Times. Simmons, who produced "Def Comedy Jam," created the new channel with Hollywood producer Brian Robbins who stated he was looking to enter into the "urban space." Robbins already runs Awesomeness TV, a YouTube channel aimed at kids and teens.
So far, Simmons seems to be working on comedy and signed comedian Spoken Reasons -- a performer that he found online doing stand-up and parody videos, according to CNET. "When (Spoken Reasons) comes from YouTube, I'm going to put him everywhere. He's going to sell every sneaker and every pair of underwear that he can sell," Simmons said.
Simmons also said that online is the new frontier for content and we have to agree. While we're not sure that Simmons has the best business model, TV producers are going to have to realize that part of their budget will be to create online content to either enhance their TV offerings or create new content to garner more viewers.
