Weekend Update: Google Video Ads, NBC Online and BitTorrent Bullies

Xeni Jardin spots ads placed by Google directly in their stream of the Charlie Rose show. I wonder where the money’s going, since Charlie Rose is aired on the Public Broadcasting Service. [BoingBoing]

Speaking of Google and network broadcasters, Google has hired NBC Universal’s strategic ventures general manager Michael Steib. De-facto ban on hot cars in the Google parking lot probably won’t apply to him. [Online Media Daily]

More signs the peacock is getting comfortable online — Rafat Ali takes a look at NBC Universal’s Digital Media group, who could be building their own social network around NBC shows. [PaidContent]

Sony’s purge of Grouper proves that in the fight over coypright online, the real losers are the fans. Unless they’re Kenny G fans, in which case, I agree with Michael Arrington — nobody wins. [Techcrunch]

The gloves have come off in the fight against leecher-enabling BitTorrent bandwidth hogs with BitTornado rejecting connections to peers running BitComet. Greedy pirates? Who ever heard of such a thing? [Torrentfreak]

Online video startup VMIX said it raised a second round of funding of an undisclosed amount from Mission Ventures and Enterprise Partners Venture Capital. The company has told us it’s trying to be both a community-driven site and licenser of video-sharing platforms for interactive marketing campaigns. Doesn’t that seem like an awkward combo? [from Liz]