Shira Lazar’s day just got a whole lot busier: Lazar’s What’s Trending show, which originally launched as a weekly Internet culture program on CBS News, just became a daily show on YouTube. What’s Trending will now focus entirely on “videos and news trending on YouTube’s platform,” according to a press release sent out Monday. The show will air live on YouTube every weekday at noon PT, and is going to be available for catch-up soon after.
What’s Trending launched on CBS News in May of 2011, but the broadcaster quickly severed ties after a What’s Trending employee tweeted a false rumor about Steve Jobs’ passing. The What’s Trending team continued to produce the show and distribute it through sites like YouTube, Ustream and Livestream, and even started a second season in February.
For YouTube, this could be an important step towards more consistent live programming. The site has been investing more than $ 100 million in premium programming, but most of these channels have focused on on-demand clips, with the notable exception of My Damn Channel. What’s Trending isn’t part of YouTube’s premium channel initiative, but instead remains independent, according to a spokesperson.
