Three reasons why Gannett is hot for video

Start with the fact that CEO Craig Dubow ran Gannett's television division before he landed GCI's top job. You think he doesn't have a soft spot for the medium that got him those big paychecks?

Gannett's rapidly growing appetite for video goes way beyond Dubow's resume. GCI sees more signs daily that advertising dollars and profits are converging on the newest, increasingly mobile "platforms.'' They're ideal for videos -- and the profitable commercials they attract:

• Facebook, MySpace and other social networks. News Corp.'s MySpace already streams video. So does Facebook, the latest Web 2.0 bottle rocket. How soon before those two companies make you watch a paid commercial to see videos like this?
• Cellphones and other mobile devices. Marketers are looking to wireless gadgets from iPhones (above) to BlackBerries as a place to advertise for new customers through commercials. Meanwhile, Google is rushing to stake a claim to the software used to power cellphones because it wants to be where future advertising goes.
• Video-sharing websites. They're everywhere because of the enormous success of YouTube. Major broadcasters are setting up their own video site, too, because they're seeing their own TV commercials migrate to the Web. And Google is here, too: The company paid $1.7 billion for YouTube in 2006 -- barely a year after that site got started. Now, YouTube is experimenting with running short TV commercials before its videos. Can you imagine how much more money Google will make off the millions of commercials that could someday be broadcast on YouTube?

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[Photo: Apple]