When MTV bought the College Publisher last August, it acquired a company that provided a publishing platform and monetization system for college newspapers. Today, some 500 college newspapers use the publishing platform (The purchase also included the wildly successful RateMyProfessors.com.)
MTV has integrated its its new purchase into the mtvU unit, a broadcast/broadband 24 hour channel for college students.
In a move announced earlier this week with ROO Group, mtvU is providing a video publishing tool and platform for college newspapers. The new system allows college newspapers to post their locally-created content on a customized player along with streaming of the news of the day from AP, Reuters and others sources.
The player has been implemented by ROO, a company that provides video publishing environments for a range of companies around the globe. CEO Robert Petty dropped by the Beet.TV studios earlier this week to talk about ROO and the new college program.
Robert shared with us the launch of the first video player on student newspaper New York University, the Washington Square News. We found some cool student made videos and a good stream of national and international news.
As you will see on the page that hosts the player, there are contextual ad banners. I understand that ads will be inserted into clips at some point. This could be an easy and profitable way for colleges to make their student newspapers multi-media quickly. For some colleges and student editors, this is might be a tad bit too commercial? We shall see.
— Andy Plesser
MTV, 
mtvU, 
ROO Group, 
"Robert Petty", 
NYU News, 
Online Video
