Reasons Not To Sign With A Network Channel

4th July 2013

Below is the text of a letter I sent to my YouTube Network Channel today. I’ve toned down the expletives in the original letter.

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Here’s another graph for you to look at since you guys at Tastemade love graphs so much.

It shows the rapidly increasing delta between what YouTube pays you and what you pay me. That’s the first whammy.

The second whammy is why the percentage of monetisable views as reported by YouTube has dropped by 25%. I asked this question a while ago and I notice you haven’t answered. It’s OK. My question was a rhetorical one because I know damn well why it’s fallen and is continuing to fall. You must be so pleased with yourselves and I guess you’ll be really happy when the percentage of montisable views as reported by YouTube has fallen to zero. Whoop-de-*******-do for you.

I look each month at what YouTube is paying you, knowing that if I hadn’t signed with you the payout from YouTube would be some 20% or more higher and that all that revenue would be coming to me. I’m not going to put together the graph of what I would be earning from YouTube each month if I hadn’t signed with you – it’s just too depressing to even think about. That’s the triple whammy.

I feel well and truly shafted.

So here’s how it is.

1. I’m not going to be quiet about this.

2. Section 9.1 of my contract states:

“The term of this Agreement will commence as of the Effective
Date and will continue for a period of two (2) years (“Initial Term”). The
Agreement will automatically renew for additional one (1) year terms (each
a “Renewal Term”, the Initial Term and any Renewal Terms to be referred
to collectively as the “Term”), under the same terms and conditions
contained herein, unless one party provides written notice to the other of its
intention not to renew ninety (90) days in advance of the expiration of the
Initial Term or then current Renewal Term. ”

I’m telling you NOW that this contract is not to be renewed and I’ll be reminding you every damn month from now until October 2014 just in case you should conveniently “forget” in the same way as you seem to have forgotten about my question regarding the drop in the percentage of monetisable views.

3. Henceforth there will be one new video recipe per week in Titli’s Busy Kitchen while I find ways to close the gap in my personal finances.

I see no benefits whatsoever from being part of your Network. You send me graphs I have already seen anyway, information from YouTube which is already out there, and my requests for assistance are met with more questions about “my future plans”. Let me ask you another rhetorical question – do you think I have any confidence in you whatsoever?

I see lots of negatives from being part of your Network, apart from the worsening of my financial position. Increased stress caused by financial loss and the subsequent pressures that brings, and the frustration I feel about having signed a contract while not being in full possession of the real implications of doing so, implications which were not in your interest to reveal. This stress is a constant distraction and I find that I am unable to give my best to Titli’s Busy Kitchen any more. That’s the quadruple whammy.

Please don’t bother telling me that you’ll be “discussing this internally and getting back to me.” I already know that.