YouTube spotlights presidential candidates; CBS excludes YouTube/MySpace from content deals; Can YouTube Hear Me? (update); and more

The social web weekly: a quick-fire roundup of some of the news, announcements and conversations that have occurred throughout the week…

• YouTube invites presidential candidates into the spotlight. YouTube is putting each of the US presidential hopefuls into the 'Spotlight'; a weekly event on the video sharing site where each candidate will solicit a 'video dialogue' with the YouTube community. From YouTube's official blog: "Candidates will post a video asking the YouTube community a question, and you'll have a week to upload response videos. The candidates will monitor your reply videos and, before the week is through, will post another video reflecting on what they've seen".
• CBS announces content deals with everybody but YouTube and MySpace. The CBS Interactive Audience Network includes content deals with AOL, Microsoft, CNET Networks, Comcast, Joost, Bebo, Brightcove, Netvibes, Sling Media and Veoh. But no YouTube or MySpace (owned by rival Fox). All content will be "free" and ad-supported, although the majority will be available to US viewers only -- ensuring that CBS retains tight control over the various international markets.
• Can YouTube Hear Me? Yes they can. A YouTube user's campaign to get featured on the video sharing site's front page, appears to be nearing success. Brandon Fletcher reports on his blog that he was able to enter YouTube's head office. "I was quite surprised that people from the YouTube office recognized me, and let me know that EVERYONE knew about the site and were waiting on my arrival". In the next day or so he expects to be meeting a YouTube editor.
• How to deal with being blocked by MySpace. GigaOm has a good post detailing the history of how companies have responded to being blocked from accessing the MySpace eco-system. A curious tidbit at the end of the piece is a pitch from Friendster promoting itself as the open alternative to MySpace. Oh the irony.
• Rolling Stone magazine to launch social network. Yawn. Another 'dead tree' publication to try its hand at social networking.