I too think there should be independence between portals and content producers.

I can't see where the rest of us producers are going to receive ANY fair play for our content as compared to the old (and to be produced) content that is suddenly "owned" by the portal.

This stifles independent producers in multiple ways, from favoritism in product placement and promotion, to the resultant reduced financial earnings.

This type of favoritism as to type and kind and style of promoted content also tells the customers that there is now less choice, and fewer choices as to what to view. The house owned content gets the promotion, which the rest has to be searched for.

If there was cash on hand to swing this merger with this one entity, the same cash could have been used to grow dozens upon dozens of independent production companies, by awarding end of year bonuses as percent of 2008 sales, or bonus grants to swing new content ventures.