The Public Broadcasting Service, PBS, has joined the ranks of YouTubers, using the site to highlight and promote its programming.

YouTube is “a great way to get in front of a broad variety of audiences,” said Kevin Dando, PBS Director of Education and Online Communication. “It’s where the market is headed.”

The PBS clips, 21 so far, focus on delivering previews and programming excerpts to the YouTube audience.

The biggest hurdle to getting more clips up is securing rights to the clips. It’s likely that online promotion will ultimately change the way PBS content is produced and licensed. According to Dando, PBS is having conversations with producers, pointing out to them that allowing the streamed video will drive viewers to their shows and surfers to their show sites.

By putting their content on YouTube, PBS is also encouraging users to embed their content into blogs and other Web sites. This could prove to be effective at promoting shows that cover controversial news stories and recent events.

via Broadcasting & Cable