Doug talks tough to YouTube in LAT

TOUGH-TALKIN’ GUY: Doug Morris has issued a threat to Google on behalf of VEVO, the wildly successful music site he dreamed up, whose deal with Google/YouTube expires at the end of the year: “Google is charging us a lot of money to put our videos on their platform, and we would like them to reduce their fees,” Morris told the L.A. Times yesterday in the first public airing of his grievances. “If not, there are at least three other companies who want to take our videos.” VEVO is YouTube’s most popular channel, according to ComScore. Among those suitors are Facebook, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon, according to Morris and another top exec. Typically, YouTube keeps 30-50% of the net advertising revenue, after a 10% sales commission is paid. Morris wouldn’t specify VEVO’s cut with YouTube. “VEVO is a great partner that has built large audiences on YouTube. We hope to continue our fruitful relationship with them,” YouTube said in an email to the Times. (7/12a)