I've only scratched the surface of the 2007 International CES show floor–it's really more massive than ever. One trend I've noticed in regards to user generated content is that there are a number of new are content aggregators. Their model is to seek out new content and deliver it to your mobile phone via their swank little app. Moving more content to more people in ways consumers want is a good thing. Sounds simple, if that's all they were doing.
Generally, the business models are as such: sign up (preferably exclusive) content creators, sell the service to a (preferably exclusive) wireless provider, charge the consumer a fee for the service (on top of the wireless bandwidth charges). Creators of content–say authors of audio or video podcasts–can submit their content to these services, but it's still up to the service as to whether the content will be made available via the service. We're not talking about the making into the service's “top 10 list,” we're just talking about making the content available at all.
They're the latest series of middlemen. Much like the labels, studios, cable video providers–who get to choose what content is provided via their exclusive distribution method? They do.
Will user generated content folks buy into these exclu-services? Are these middle men really needed? My guess is that the latest generation–podcasters–already know that the beauty of the Internet (at least one with net neutrality) is that they can distribute their content to whomever they want via any and every thinkable network distribution method.