bytes and ballots

I guess it had to happen. Someone would figure out that YouTube can be a complicated and difficult medium to use for political communications. So I wasn't surprised to read the release regarding "Capitol Hill Broadcasting Network", a new website:

(that) caters to the narrow but diverse audience of political candidates, elected officials, political pundits, advocacy groups, political junkies, and government agencies. Created to leverage new uses of video technology for the political community, CHBN allows its users to inform, educate, advocate, influence, and campaign at the click of a mouse.

David Livingston, a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. and the site's founder, says: "CHBN is a non-partisan website that serves as a free and powerful communication tool for people and organizations in the political community. It'll not only serve as an important tool for candidates and others, but it will also be entertaining and informative for our visitors."

"We feel confident that this is where politics on the internet is heading," Livingston says. "We wanted to be the first to provide a professional, politically themed online network. Members can create and upload their own videos or upload their existing media to give it additional exposure. Elected officials can use the site to give weekly video updates to stay connected to his or her constituents. In addition, individuals and advocacy groups can broadcast legislative proposals or viewpoints on an issue, and can receive feedback through CHBN's 'rating' and 'comment' feature. Unlike television, this tool allows members to immediately gauge viewer interest while complementing online fundraising efforts."

The release is here.