Television Exec Heads to YouTube Channel

If Tom Hanks and a $100 million investment from YouTube into original online video content creation across 100 or so new channels doesn’t convince you web series are becoming increasingly appealing to traditional Hollywood players and more mainstream audiences, maybe the announcement of a key hire in the online video industry who was poached from his traditional television position will.

Brian Stelter reported in the New York Times the Senior Vice President of Program Planning and Special Productions for the Food Network and Cooking Channel, Bruce Seidel is moving to a cheif executive position at the top of Electus’ as-of-yet unnamed food-related YouTube channel.

The “next generation studio” founded and led by Ben Silverman is scheduled to release the channel sometime in July. Seidel will have his experience in developing television programs like Food Network Star

and Iron Chef America to help him run the the online initiative, as well as some editorial and content support from food review site Urbanspoon. (Barry Diller’s public internet company IAC is an owner and/or financier in both Urbanspoon and Electus.)

The channel is one three Electus will be producing as part of YouTube’s major channels push. The other two are a to-be-named pop culture network and NeuvOn, a “bi-lingual Hispanic pop culture and celebrity-oriented channel designed to transcend all markets” and feature Sofia Vergara.