Amber MacArthur Archive

Tucows (remember them?!?!) has launched a new video network called Butterscotch this week. The site is Canadian and features six main video shows including tutorials. Former G4TechTV personality Andy Walker is leading the site and Amber MacArthur is one of the lead personalities.

We interviewed Amber last year and I believe she is the most talented female tech reporter on the scene. With that said, it’s disappointing to see that Amber is hosting a show where she recaps the viral videos of the week. This "YouTube-recap" show has become very popular as of late – it’s an easy way to make a show. Here’s hoping Amber will change the format to show off her technology talent.

With Tucows providing strong financial support, a popular set of talent and a library of downloads, Butterscotch could do very well. They suggest that their niche is where, "HGTV meets TechTV". Here’s Amber’s first episode of the A-List:

I have been discussing video bloggers a good bit recently and currenly my favorite tech news video star is Amber MacArthur. I think she does a great job of explaining technology in a way that's not technical. I reviewed her video blogs this past December and she won the Video Host Smackdown last month. I was able to grab a few minutes of Amber's time for an interview and the transcript of our discussion is below.

Allen: Amber, can we start with a brief bio?

Amber MacArthur: I was born on PEI (Prince Edward Island), went to J-School in Halifax, and then moved to San Francisco to make millions during the dot-com boom. I didn't make millions, but I grew to love the Internet and now I make a living teaching people about what's going on in the web and technology world.

Allen: You do video blogging on a variety of sites, can you list them all for our readers?

• AmberMac.com – my blog
• CommandN.tv – my weekly video blog
• CityNews.ca/Webnation – my Citytv web news show
• CityNews.ca/International – my daily web news stories

Allen: How's the new gig with CityNews been so far? Are your viewers mostly from Canada or do you find viewers from across the world watching?

Amber: Most of our viewers for the web and tech news are online from all parts of the world.

Allen: What does it take to be a video blogger? Technology, effort, etc.?

Amber: As a video blogger, it takes dedication to keep up the hard work.

Allen: How much time does it take to produce an episode of commandN?

Amber: Our video producer, Brian McKechnie, spends a lot of time shooting/editing commandN, so by the end of the show it takes at least 12-24 hours per episode.

Allen: In your opinion, what are the top 1-2 things a video blog must have/do to be successful?

Amber: A video blog must have a regular publishing schedule and it must have interesting content.

Allen: There is Textra, WebbAlert, Amanda Congdon, and many more – all basically video blogging about technology in the same format. Where do you see the market going in the near-term?

Amber: I think some video bloggers will take jobs at traditional TV stations who want them to drive web traffic, but those TV stations need to invest money and energy into vibrant web communities to make these shows a success.

Allen: What do you think is the one thing you wish the Web had today that is just not available (yet)?

Amber: I would like wireless Internet everywhere.

Allen: What's the web market in Canada like? Do you think that SF gets too much play overall?

Amber: Toronto has a very vibrant web market, so this is the place for me. As for SF, I think they get a lot of play but that is because they have a lot of the major web players.

Allen: Which of your broadcasts has been your favorite so far? Which is the most popular?

Amber: I love Webnation; it's the show I always wanted to make.

Allen: What do you think is the biggest mistake you have made since you started video blogging?

Amber: My biggest mistake video blogging is that I tried to edit the show myself :(.

Allen: Do you see a time when the TV (as we know it) will be completely replaced by video shows and news reports like yours?

Amber: I think that TV and online shows will learn from each other and merge together to find the right formula for their audiences.

Allen: Where do you see video blogging/internet video news moving over the next year?

Amber: I think more people will want to go to the web to get their news, so TV stations will have to add video to captivate that audience.

Allen: Where is Amber going in the next year? Do you have a long-term strategy?

Amber: My long-term strategy is to keep doing what I'm doing, but making all of it better ;).

Thanks to Amber for the interview. Photo by Global Hermit.