AOL Intensifies Quest for Content

AOL is looking to bring the worlds of professionally produced and commissioned content together and deliver more Web video, said David Eun, president of AOL Media & Studios.The Web giant has doubled down on partnerships and is ready for more, he said."We're open to business there," he said, pointing out that 80 percent of content across AOL is now produced in-house.Content is "crucial to the turnaround" at the company, he said. Eun added that AOL is aggressively seeking to partner with various companies, including content producers -- from newspapers to video providers.Eun made the comments during a Q&A session Monday night with Andrew Wallenstein, editor, digital media at The Hollywood Reporter. It was part of THR's second Digital Power event at the Waldorf-Astoria that honored Eun with the Power Playe" award. Asked about the debate involving traditional media and professionally produced content versus content farms made up of contributors assigned Web content projects to produce cheaply, Eun said this is the part of his job that most excites him."There isn't quite yet a company that combines these two parts," he said. AOL has more than 40,000 content contributors. Video, in particular, is a key focus for AOL, Eun told the crowd at the Waldorf. "There could certainly be more," he said. How does he feel about the many Web sites AOL operates?"The number of sites you have is not as important as the quality and impact," Eun said, emphasizing he wants the company to act like "a multimillion-dollar startup." The names of some sites may get tied to AOL more directly, he signaled. "The brand has very strong attributions," Eun said. "There will still be independent brands, but we will think about how we connect the AOL brand to everything."Asked about Yahoo's acquisition of Associated Content, Eun said the industry is big enough for several companies to try the same approach. "Good luck to Jimmy (Pitaro, a vp at Yahoo who oversees media) and his team over there," he said.Eun, though, said he thinks it's unlikely his former employer Google would follow a similar approach. "Google and YouTube have a pretty good business model, and it's a [neutral] platform," he said.

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AOL Intensifies Quest for Content

Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter

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Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter