University of California launching UCTV Prime, a university-run YouTube original channel

Plenty of colleges and universities have their own YouTube channels, but the University of California is claiming its new channel UCTV Prime will be the first university-run YouTube original channel. When it launches on March 1st, UCTV Prime will offer 15 minutes of original programming every week — there will be 10-minute in-depth documentary-style content, as well as several different 5-minute segments. UCTV Prime: Vote will focus on election-year analysis, while UCTV Prime: Cuts will focus on research and events from the UC campuses. As for the mini-documentaries, the first is called “Naked Art” — it’ll be a four-part series that focuses on the university’s public art collections. UCTV Prime has a few trailers and promos available, but the first full content will be available both on YouTube and on the UCTV Prime home page in a few weeks. We’ll see if YouTube decides to line up any other universities with original channels if UCTV Prime finds an audience.