Publicly listed Israeli company Tapuz has come to Canada to launch a new live video blogging service, http://www.blogtv.ca.

The service allows Canadians access to a live, video blogging social-network that is part YouTube and part guerilla broadcasting. Developed through a JV with Alliance Atlantis and Toronto's GS New Media, blogtv.ca is available now.

According to CBC.ca, "Users can list their video feed or broadcast under one of nine "channels" or categories that include music, sports, "games, sci-fi and fantasy" and even an adult content channel called After Hours."

The above screen grab taken at 7:30 this morning reveals that, not surprisingly, no one was live video blogging. This is an interesting idea that torques the YouTube model but blogtv.ca really needs to emulate their larger competitor's simple user interface. Blogtv's design looks vaguely Internet one era - definitely not Web 2.0.

While I wonder how much traction the fledgling company will get in the Canadian market in 2007, once mobile devices can stream video to the Net through wireless networks the long-anticipated era of grassroots, instantaneous journalism will have arrived. Who needs TV?