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Officially launched last Friday, the new video blog venture by HBO and AOL, “This Just In” could be considered as yet another milestone in the evolution of the blog as a communications channel in its own right. The fact that blogs use the Internet and mainly computer screens to be consumed is circumstantial, at this point it is clear that the simple and unique structure of this relatively new medium is solidifying on its own and that we can expect it to break free from its technical constrains [the computer screen and even the Web] in the near future.

Blogs could then live in your mobile phone or PDA as a service from your carrier in a closed network, they could also be adopted in the wide array of Video on Demand [VOD] platforms that are rapidly evolving, or live as part of online gaming platforms such as Xbox Live. What is certain is that there is something at the intersection of its main characteristics [informal, to-the-point, multimedia, open for dialogue, among others] that makes this medium highly appealing to the modern producer and consumer of media.

This Just In seems to be one of the first in the corporate blogging scene that understands the mechanics of the medium and that could be poised for instant success. Its main ingredients include excellent content by HBO, aggregation from other video sites [i.e. You Tube], anti-interruption advertising policy, and the usual sharing and dialogue features available at any blog. One post last week received over 180 comments, which can already be considered as a good sign of participation, however, beyond being a potential success metric, the conversation that happened among all those “viewers” feels as real as any dialogue happening in a personal blog, an early indicator that the site is doing something right to engage people and stimulate participation, two essentials in contemporary communications.

For more details about this initiative, check out the Advertising Age article announcing its birth.