And later this year it will introduce an adventure travel program with Richard Bangs, a self-styled trip leader, who had worked at MSN.
"I come from a medium which allows you to represent a pretty static linear picture," Braun said. "It's very passive." At Yahoo, he does not plan any half-hour or hourlong programs, but shorter segments that users can assemble into longer experiences of their own choosing.
A.D.D. Generation
The Internet reflects what Braun calls "the A.D.D. [attention deficit disorder] generation," where people watch TV, read something online, chat on a cell phone and send instant messages -- all at the same time. He talks of short, frequent video segments, surrounded by other information that users can interact with in their own way and contribute to as well.
One of Yahoo's weapons, Braun says, is that it can personalize information for the interests of each user, such as its My Yahoo page and the song recommendations provided to users of its music service.
Braun is weaving this technology into a video player Yahoo will introduce near the end of the year.
"It will almost be like a television set," Braun said, except as people watch one program, on the center of the player, other areas will offer additional programming choices, based on their past viewing habits. It will let them use Yahoo's video search to find programs from amateur videographers and video bloggers. And it will, of course, promote the glitzy shows Braun is creating.
"People want the freedom to do exactly what they want to do," he said. "But they also like to be programmed to, and reminded of the different things that exist. Yahoo is in a position to do both of those."
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