*By Max Godnick*
CollegeHumor is dropping out of the internet.
The online comedy network on Wednesday launched DROPOUT, an ad-free, mixed-media subscription service for uncensored comedy.
"Think of it as the late, late night for comedy on the internet," CH Media CEO Richard Cusick said Wednesday in an interview on Cheddar.
The mobile-first platform is currently in beta and will supplement its current slate of written and video content with longer-form entertainment that veers more "mature."
Through his platform's quirky, off-kilter, "TV-MA" approach, Cusick said DROPOUT will allow fans of online comedy to revisit a time before Facebook and other platforms homogenized digital content with algorithmic and centralized content distribution.
Though CollegeHumor was an early beneficiary of social media's reach and sharability, much like other comedy platforms including Funny or Die, it struggled to compete with cat videos and viral memes.
"Facebook ($FB) became the internet," Cusick said of the shifting media landscape. "Since now everybody's gone to Facebook and YouTube, it's kind of been dumbed down."
The new venture will help CollegeHumor, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAC ($IAC), celebrate the quirkiness of the internet with projects that probably would not have been green-lit by more traditional outlets. But the move does not imply the platform will abandon its roots. Cusick said CollegeHumor will continue to increase its presence on its own site and YouTube channel.
The project will also help CollegeHumor avoid the perils of branded content. Cusick alluded to his site's strong relationship with its advertising platforms, but acknowledged that branded commitments can limit the type of material allowed on air ーno profanity, no nudity, and guardrails about off-limits topics.
"It's actually even more restrictive than what you find on late night TV," he said.
But with a lineup of news shows including "Lonely and Horny," "Cartoon Hell Presents," and "Gay Spy," CollegeHumor appears to be safely back to its R-rated origins, thanks to DROPOUT.
A beta version of DROPOUT will be available Wednesday, Sept. 26 for $3.99 per month on the web and mobile browsers. A full slate of pricing tiers will be available in November.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/collegehumor-drops-out-of-the-internet-with-dropout).
Ford is recalling more than 355,000 of its pickup trucks across the U.S. because of an instrument panel display failure that’s resulted in critical information, like warning lights and vehicle speed, not showing up on the dashboard.
Nvidia reported a 56% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 59% rise in net income compared to a year ago.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims audiences don't want to watch Netflix movies in theaters, but that seems not to be the case recently.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
