Anybody know what is going on with TWiCH? I went to DL the latest episode today and I couldn’t find it. I eventually did, but in the Retired section! WTF? Is this a mistake? I sure hope so, after 558 Episodes, it’s one of the longest running Podcasts on the TWiT Network. I think it’s like 5th in line behind only SN, WW, TWiT and MBW. I’ve always considered TWiCH to be an essential part of the Core of the TWiT NW.
If it’s an Advertiser thing, well, that’s a hard pill to swallow because only Leo does Ads better than Patrick Norton! He is almost as good as Leo, but Leo is absolutely the best.
I am an avid TWiT viewer. It is on my HTPC next to my work desk running pretty much all day every day 7 days a week. I watch ALL the shows, even the ones I don’t particularly care for. TWiCH is in my top group of favorites, and if this is true will be sorely missed.
I don’t see anything at all re Audio. It is on the schedule for Thursday, but if it is continuing as Audio only, then why is it listed in “Retired” and not at all in “Active” Podcasts? Maybe I’m just confused about this.
Clayton: I found the post you are referring to. Boy, it sure WAS buried. You would think a 10-yr running Podcast would deserve a little more presence than that, huh? Before I posted, I ran a search using just the word TWiCH and didn’t see anyone talking about it. Maybe I didn’t go back far enough, as I see the date on Leo’s post was March 20. Guess I need to log into the Community more often, huh?
This really makes me sad, I gotta tell you. I loved that Podcast, never missed an episode.
I’m on the TWiT mailing list - I think I got the news that way. I posted about it on the topic for the last show. Guess it would have been better to create a new topic, but anyway… it’s gone…
I went over to Sebastian’s home base, PC Perspective (pcper.com), and he did their most recent podcast on the 20th, the day after the last TWiCH podcast on TWiT. He didn’t say anything about it. But you never know about these things.
There’s no problem with the delivery of ads, TWiT is amongst the best, if not the best, in the business at delivering ads. The problem is that advertisers are cutting their ad spending because they don’t know how much income they’re going to have in the coming weeks and months. Share prices are down too, which means that the usual sources of investment for those advertisers are drying up - borrowing is difficult if your stock price is tanking.
What makes it worse is that the number of listeners for each podcast has fallen, most likely because of the loss of captive commute time that many people filled with podcasts. This probably makes getting advertisers in harder work for TWiT if the audience appears to be in decline, even though it’s a one-time consequence of the “shelter in place” situation.
It’s a tough time for TWiT, and podcasts that are failing to generate ad income are going to be at risk, no matter how good the content. All we can do is be as understanding as possible of the pressures Leo & Lisa are under, and tell as many people as possible how good the shows are. Leaving reviews for shows on iTunes and other places will help keep them visible to new audiences too.
Patrick and Sebastian are going to do a farewell video - it will be published on the TWiCH feed. And Patrick has asked to take over the feed, so with any luck they’ll keep doing the show. Don’t cancel your subscription just yet!
It’s hard to cancel shows, but we have to be a bit ruthless, especially now. Advertising and downloads are off considerably since the pandemic began and money is very tight. Like most small businesses, we don’t have vast reserves. Lisa and I put six figures of our own money into the business last month and won’t be taking any draw for the forseeable future. We’re determined to get TWiT through this and emerge stronger than ever, if maybe a little the worse for wear, when this is all over.
Hi @Leo, that’s great news. Do what you can to protect your business. Being a worker in a South Australian government department, my job feels a lot safer than a lot of other, more transient jobs. I feel for the small businesses of the world and those workers who have lost their livelihood in this time.
Hey Leo! Appreciate the somewhat comforting words. I know it’s tough, and you gotta do what you gotta do to survive. I get that. It’s just such a shock when, by my viewer judgement, there are other less engaging Podcasts on the NW upon which the Ax should have fallen this early in the purge. I always envisioned TWiCH would be among the last to go, not the first.
As I said earlier, I watch TWiT Live pretty much 12/7. I don’t watch much TV - I watch TWiT. Why? I Love Tech. I Love TWiT, you and all your people. I even enjoy MacBreak Weekly and I don’t own a single piece of Apple hardware.
God I sure hope TWiT makes it through this. Everything else on the Internet is just second rate compared to TWiT. You don’t even know me, but I’ve watched and listened to TWiT so long I consider all of you my friends. Before TWiT was here, I used to record the Tech Guy Show off my AM Radio so I could listen to it again. I don’t make any purchases without checking your recommendations and advertiser list first. I trust you that much.
So do whatever you must to make it Leo. I will support you and always be one of your viewers.
I completely sympathize with TWiT’s economic peril at this time of great societal stress. I hope that when things improve, that This Week in Computer Hardware can return. It was one of my favorite shows and Patrick and Sebastian are a terrific team with a very pleasing on-air chemistry between them that is “infectious” (sorry!) to audience allegiance. Long live TWiCH!
Maybe it’s a good time for that experiment? I for one certainly feel the value of TWiT now more than ever. Before, I simply enjoyed the entertaining content and friendly company - now, I kind of depend on the TWiT family to be an antidote to the downside of social distancing. Don’t need to distance from a friendly voice in a podcast. I could imagine there are others that feel the same.
I think I’ve read something about a tip jar somewhere. Is there such a thing? Why not make it front and center?
The aim would not be to shift from one model to another, but to allow and facilitate the community contributing to the team being able to provide what we love to consume. Especially in these times, the best that might happen is for those offers with the strongest community to build the best possible commercial resilience, no?
Will miss Twich, I used their information on the hardware end of the show to build my most recent windows machine. It is 4 years old and still going, along with a few upgrades on video card and ramm. Windows is a problem, the machine isn’t. Will miss TWIT if the economy does it harm, or if Leo has to charge for the show. Comcast in this rural area is killing my budget with high prices, 3Mbps down, and poor service. I’ll keep watching as long as Comcast doesn’t break my budget. Gotta eat.
carbonga: I agree. I think it may be time for a monetizing change. But I don’t think the “Tip Jar” model would work. It works for me as a viewer, but if you’re the proprietor, how would you budget around that unreliable, inconsistent source of income? You can’t. The only model that works is the subscription model. All the Big-Name Podcasters that have migrated from TV have done it this way. But it should never be the only or even primary source of monetization, rather a supplement to the main source - Advertising. IOW: a Subscription does not entitle the viewer to Ad-Free content. Also, it would seem to me that PAID Subscriber data would be much more valuable to both Podcaster and Advertiser than unpaid.
My suggestion however, has a few components to it from the subscribers’ point of view:
Don’t be like the Cable companies we all despise. Charge viewers only for the shows they want to watch. Bundling is OK as long as it is not the only choice and doing so saves the subscriber some money.
Don’t make viewers commit to such a long period of time that they feel locked in. Make it semi-annual, quarterly or even monthly like some Play Store Apps.
Pricing: It needs to not only be affordable for the financial capability of the AVERAGE viewer, but also have several choices as to how the charges are calculated. That is things like Full access vs Limited Access, or View Online vs Download Only, or whatever.
Then there’s the Free vs Premium Content model.
And on and on …
Then there is the consideration that the number of Paid Subscribers would reduce the total number of Subscribers which is less attractive to Advertisers. There’s a balance that would have to be achieved, probably with a transition period over time. There’s a million different ways to structure the thing, and I am certain Leo & Lisa can come up with something that represents a Win-Win for everybody. The only thing certain is that it probably needs to be done - NOW - before the situation becomes critical.
The thought of losing TWiT is more than I can bear.
