NEW YORK -- Blip.tv, an Internet media company that hosts and distributes Web-based TV shows and videoblogs, announced that CNN has licensed its software to enable people around the world to send CNN newsworthy footage shot on a cell phone, camcorder or digital camera. Beginning today, anyone can upload footage directly to CNN, via blip.tv software, for consideration for use by the CNN broadcast networks, CNN.com, and its other platforms and services.

Blip.tv also announced today software licensing deals the Oxygen Network and the William Shatner DVD Club. The agreements enable anyone to share content directly with these companies for contests, promotions and Web-based features.

"Corporations are recognizing the importance of giving their customers a voice," said Mike Hudack, CEO of blip.tv. "With tremendous competition in the market, media companies are embracing user-generated content as a way to build strong relationships with their viewers while continuing to reinforce their brands. CNN is elevating the concept of citizen journalism by using blip.tv software to power its I-Report initiative to collect and air -- potentially within minutes -- eyewitness reports shot anywhere in the world."

Blip.tv's software and tools enable companies to attract, collect and manage user-generated content. Oxygen recently licensed blip.tv software for a promotion connected to the Oxygen TV show "Mo'Nique's F.A.T Chance." Plus-sized women around the country were invited to compete in an online beauty pageant by submitting photos, videos and comments to a Web site, at http://monique.blip.tv/ , explaining why they should win a $10,000 "people's choice" prize. The William Shatner DVD club has licensed blip.tv's software for a contest, hosted at http://shatner.blip.tv/ , to find its first spokesperson.

Blip.tv is a leading Internet media company that makes it easy for people to create and distribute original video shows on the Web. Blip.tv gives show producers the freedom to build their own brands and audience while giving them a stake in their own success. Show producers can opt-in to advertising, and blip.tv will split all ad revenues with them. With the most advanced video distribution platform available today, Blip.tv also gives users the tools to distribute videos to blogs, to iTunes, video aggregators and search engines, del.icio.us, Flickr and more. Blip.tv lets show creators maintain complete ownership of their content and supports Creative Commons licensing.

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