Online video service Vmix lands NBC deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - vMix Media, the online video technology company, said on Tuesday it has launched an NBC channel that features promotional video clips of top shows "Heroes" and "30 Rock," as media companies seek outlets that also protect its copyrights.

vMix, founded by former executives at music site MP3.com and Universal Music Group, offers tools for media companies to offer online videos and provide features that encourage users to send messages and leave comments.

"You don't want PrettyBoy13 in Des Moines putting up a clip people are talking about, and NBC has no idea what's going on," Greg Kostello, vMix chief executive, said in an interview.

Kostello refers to the popularity of Google Inc.'s YouTube, the top online video service, whose runaway success and lax filters to screen for copyrighted videos before they are uploaded, has drawn the ire of the media industry.

Clips from television shows are uploaded to YouTube by its members, often without permission from content owners.

Although NBC also has a promotional deal with YouTube, they have been unable to reach a broader distribution deal for more of its videos.

San Diego-based vMix signed a deal with Tribune Co.'s interactive division in January to offer its tools to Tribune's 50 newspaper Web sites, including LATimes.com and Newsday.com.