With Sumner's balls less about face on the Tom Cruise thing, we wouldn't be surprised

-Shomari Hines Viacom may be taking steps to not be Youtube dependant, but some think the media giant will go running and falling at Chad Hurley's feet in the long run. Hopefully digital czar Mika Salmi will make us all eat our words. The bottom line: YouTube does not need Viacom or NBC. For the moment, Viacom and NBC can tell themselves that they do not need YouTube. In another year or two, however, when every other content producer on the planet has set up a dedicated "channel" on YouTube, it will be the stubborn old media conglomerates' turn to say "please." YouTube Doesn't Need Viacom and NBC - But They'll Need It [SeekingAlpha]