New technology and novel ways to distribute television shows and video clips will help U.S. broadcaster CBS Corp. better connect with communities of viewers, its top executive, Les Moonves, said on Tuesday.

Encouraged by early signs of success from a deal to make some of its video clips available legally on Google Inc.’s YouTube, he said the once-closely guarded business of creating and distributing movies, shows and music is making way for more partnerships with the technology industry.

“There has been the question, are these people friends or foes?” Moonves said in an interview ahead of his keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show, referring to tech companies. “Our attitude is ‘Let’s see where this technology can lead us.’ Let’s not say, ‘Oh my god, it’s going to be bad for us.”‘

Whereas once broadcasters seemed to deliver programming from ivory towers, CBS’s moves acknowledge that more consumers want to share, edit and discuss content rather than simply sit in front of a television watching their favorite shows.

In another sign of the times, Moonves shared the stage with technology and Internet stars with whom CBS recently struck partnerships, rather than actors like Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks, who served as media industry ambassadors at last year’s CES.

Moonves appeared with YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley, Blake Krikorian, chief executive of TV gadget maker Sling Media, and Linden Lab CEO Philip Rosedale, who runs online virtual world Second Life.

CBS said it has struck a deal to test a new service from Sling called Clip + Sling, which lets users of a new device, the SlingCatcher, save short segments of a live broadcast of a show and send them to friends.

The TV network-owner also plans to build a Star Trek-themed area in Second Life to distribute content more broadly.

“It’s obvious for all the big media companies, and us in particular, that distributing our content in a hundred different ways is the name of the game and will be a significant part of our future,” Moonves said.

Also sharing the stage with Moonves were four entrepreneurs affiliated with CBS who demonstrated how technology has boosted audience participation of its shows.

They included Anthony Zuiker, creator of hit CBS TV series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” radio hosts Gregg Hughes and Anthony Cumia of “The Opie & Anthony Show,” College Sports Television founder Brian Bedol, and the creators and stars of CBS Showtime’s “L Word.”

It is a far cry from just seven months ago, Moonves said, recalling his conservation when he met YouTube’s Hurley at a gathering for media executives last year. “My opening line was, ‘What do I do about you stealing my content?”‘ Moonves said.

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