Vid-Biz: WePlay, SpotRunner, Mercedes

WePlay Shoots for Young Athletes; new social networking site features videos of LeBron James and Peyton Manning as youths, encourages other aspiring athletes to share videos of games. (The New York Times)

SpotRunner Running for Election Dollars; ad agency’s new program lets candidates at all levels of government design their own TV ads from templates and find a target audience. (MediaPost)

Mercedes Rolls Out Web Show; Mixed Tape Music Magazine features video clips from popular music artists, intended to reach younger audiences. (The Wall Street Journal)

Switched Digital Video to Help with HD Deployment; new technology can distribute video more efficiently over coaxial cable, according to new research from In-Stat. (emailed release)

BlinkBox Signs Freemantle for VOD; U.K. startup to offer 160 TV shows including Baywatch, Dangermouse, and Count Duckula. (Variety)

Obama Girl Goes after Hillary; new vid, Hillary! Stop the Attacks! Love, Obama Girl, features spoof of the “3 a.m.” ad. (CNN)