Yahoo Is In The Wow House

Yahoo plans to create a third original web-only series; this one will be a reality show that embraces and extends the “home makeover” concept, called “Wow House.”

If Yahoo media mogul Lloyd Braun is deterred by the less-than-robust showings for “Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone” and “Richard Bangs Adventures,” it doesn’t seem to be stopping the portal and entertainment company from giving it another try.

Yahoo Media Group VP for content operations Scott Moore disclosed the new series at a broadband summit Tuesday in Boston, MediaPost reported. Former CNet editor-in-chief Patrick Houston has been tapped to oversee the production of “Wow House.”

The concept goes like this: two households get $10,000 each to spend on electronics for the home. Online viewers get to vote and decide which household keeps the new swag. The cost of producing the pilot, $100,000, pales when compared to the budgets for typical television shows.

A prospective audience, and prospective advertisers seeking product placement deals, will have to wait until sometime in the first quarter of 2006 to see how “Wow House” plays to the online audience.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.