Media Roundup: China Blocks YouTube, Senate Bill May Give Tax Exempt Status to Newspapers and More

China blocks YouTube — The Chinese Communist Party has blocked the entire country’s access to YouTube. The Chinese government often blocks Internet content that is critical of the party’s policies, often involving Tibet. Google, the owner of YouTube, says that is currently working to resolve the situation and would not confirm any communication with China. YouTube and Google have been blocked from numerous countries before, most instances have seen a restoration in service eventually. [Source: Reuters]

Senate bill may give tax exempt status to newspapers — U.S. Senator Bejamin Cardin, D.-Md., has proposed a bill to the United States Senate that would give newspapers a tax exempt status. It would be similar to the status offered to public radio and television stations. The bill would make contributions to newspapers tax-deductible and allow non-profits to invest in newspapers. Were a newspaper to accept non-profit status, they would not be allowed to endorse a political candidate. [Source: Editor & Publisher]

Video games may be the next “5th Network” — When the amount of time spent on video games is totaled up, it surpasses the ratings of the CW. According to a report by Nielsen PreView, gamers totaled 64 billion minutes of playing time in December. That puts games ahead of CW’s ratings and within striking distance of NBC. The report notes that network television should not feel threatened, as video game usage has been on the rise since 1989 with no discernible impact on television ratings. [Source: MediaWeek]

NPR sees record ratings — Driven by the election and the decline of other news sources, National Public Radio has recorded record ratings in 2008. At a time when newspapers and network television are losing audience, NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” reached 20.9 million people last year. The 2008 numbers are a 8.7 percent increase over 2007’s numbers, and its audience has grown 47 percent since 2000. Despite the good news, NPR has still been forced to cut staff and programming in the current economic downtown. [Source: Washington Post]

Vibe launches two new digital platforms — Vibe magazine has launched a video and mobile platform to help increase its digital portfolio. The magazine about urban lifestyle will make 15,000 music videos from label partners available on its Vibe Video Web site. Partners include Sony, Universal and Warner Brothers. Vibe Mobile will offer text alerts with links to content deemed relevant by the user. [Source: MediaBistro]

TiVo and Blockbuster team up — Blockbuster video will now be available on TiVo’s digital video recorder boxes. In return, TiVo boxes will now be available in Blockbuster’s retail stores. Blockbuster will make new movie releases available for $3.99. The movie rental chain has been in financial trouble in recent weeks with rumors swirling that the company was close to filing for bankruptcy. The company has renegotiated with its lenders to extend its credit line to September 2010. No money was exchanged during the deal. [Source: New York Times]