08-06-2009, 09:38 PM
State of the Podcast
Well, here we are. The day after I paid for my 3rd year of the Free Beer and Hot Wings podcast. So I have been sitting here all day today thinking of how to respond to the news that all local Grand Rapids content is being taken out of the podcast.
Now I'll be the first to say that there's more to life than the FBHW podcast. I've been through tons the past few years, a messy divorce, sick children, a crappy, meaningless job...and one of the few things I have to look forward to is my lunch break, or late at night after the kids go to bed when I can sit back and relax with my ipod and listen to the podcast. It's been a big help to me and it might sound crazy, but I've kind of used it as therapy. It got me to laugh again when I thought I never would.
But forget about that. I'm not the kind to ever complain, but these changes to the podcast, well, they suck. When this VIP program started, we were promised all this bonus stuff. What bonus things are we getting? Well, now the "What Hot Wings Thinks" is now available as it's own separate podcast! Dont know why we need that when it's included in the show...twice.... but it's there. And exclusive content! A few seconds of Zane's father... A few seconds of Steve's sexy dance.... Zane and JMV's reaction to Zane's dream that we were promised we would hear but never have... Zane, Joe, and Free Beer making fun and swearing at some ugly driver. Now this is interesting stuff, but it does NOT make up for what we are losing with the decision to take out all Grand Rapids local segments.
I've asked people to start posting memories of those segments. Because it is kind of a death in the family. I was ridiculed on air for complaining about "traffic reports" and I might have over-reacted because the more I thought about it, I thought that I guess it's a compromise. I get to hear the stuff I wanted to, but I had to get used to the single file, and I have. Yesterday we were greeted with the news that the time between segments would be cut down, along with a message from Steve saying how they listen to the things we say. So then, I wake up this morning with this news, and I'm just totally bummed out about it.
I dont work in the broadcast industry, I work in customer service. Taking away stuff doesn't make happy customers. I'm not stupid though, I know the reason goes way beyond what was posted here. It's probably an issue about ratings and market research and things like that. The broadcast industry to me seems a lot about deception. I don't give a darn whether you're a syndicated show or not. Yes, I found you because you were syndicated here in Maine, but I dont listen to the radio anymore. I am a paying listener. I pay so I can listen at my own pace. I can listen at my own time. And, for a very long time, I was very happy with it.
Isn't there some way we can work out a compromise? Some of us really care about that stuff, and feel very ripped off. Maybe it can be posted on the WGRD website or something? I thought it was enough of a compromise to have it on the full-segment, but I guess I was wrong. All I want is the podcast the way it was.
Well, here we are. The day after I paid for my 3rd year of the Free Beer and Hot Wings podcast. So I have been sitting here all day today thinking of how to respond to the news that all local Grand Rapids content is being taken out of the podcast.
Now I'll be the first to say that there's more to life than the FBHW podcast. I've been through tons the past few years, a messy divorce, sick children, a crappy, meaningless job...and one of the few things I have to look forward to is my lunch break, or late at night after the kids go to bed when I can sit back and relax with my ipod and listen to the podcast. It's been a big help to me and it might sound crazy, but I've kind of used it as therapy. It got me to laugh again when I thought I never would.
But forget about that. I'm not the kind to ever complain, but these changes to the podcast, well, they suck. When this VIP program started, we were promised all this bonus stuff. What bonus things are we getting? Well, now the "What Hot Wings Thinks" is now available as it's own separate podcast! Dont know why we need that when it's included in the show...twice.... but it's there. And exclusive content! A few seconds of Zane's father... A few seconds of Steve's sexy dance.... Zane and JMV's reaction to Zane's dream that we were promised we would hear but never have... Zane, Joe, and Free Beer making fun and swearing at some ugly driver. Now this is interesting stuff, but it does NOT make up for what we are losing with the decision to take out all Grand Rapids local segments.
I've asked people to start posting memories of those segments. Because it is kind of a death in the family. I was ridiculed on air for complaining about "traffic reports" and I might have over-reacted because the more I thought about it, I thought that I guess it's a compromise. I get to hear the stuff I wanted to, but I had to get used to the single file, and I have. Yesterday we were greeted with the news that the time between segments would be cut down, along with a message from Steve saying how they listen to the things we say. So then, I wake up this morning with this news, and I'm just totally bummed out about it.
I dont work in the broadcast industry, I work in customer service. Taking away stuff doesn't make happy customers. I'm not stupid though, I know the reason goes way beyond what was posted here. It's probably an issue about ratings and market research and things like that. The broadcast industry to me seems a lot about deception. I don't give a darn whether you're a syndicated show or not. Yes, I found you because you were syndicated here in Maine, but I dont listen to the radio anymore. I am a paying listener. I pay so I can listen at my own pace. I can listen at my own time. And, for a very long time, I was very happy with it.
Isn't there some way we can work out a compromise? Some of us really care about that stuff, and feel very ripped off. Maybe it can be posted on the WGRD website or something? I thought it was enough of a compromise to have it on the full-segment, but I guess I was wrong. All I want is the podcast the way it was.