Hangouts On Air: The Google+ Version of Public-Access TV - Mike Isaac - Social - AllThingsD

Check the full article for analysis of some implications

"“This is a much more efficient and pervasive way to organize a conversation,” Hangouts product manager Nikhyl Singhal told AllThingsD in an interview. “Maybe I needed satellite trucks and switchboards for something like this in the past.”
It works the same as an existing Hangout: Host a video chat, with up to nine other people joining you in the conversation. But flip the “enable Hangouts On Air” switch, and your chat goes from private to public. What’s more, you’re not limited to broadcasting to Google+ users alone; embed the Hangout in your Web page or your YouTube channel, and folks can watch from there, too. It’s also possible to record the broadcast for replay later."

Hangouts On Air: The Google+ Version of Public-Access TV - Mike Isaac - Social - AllThingsD