Pod-Crashing Episode 52

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Pod-Crashing Episode 52 Programming

Let’s lay it on the line.  I’m not a Trouble Maker or Firestarter but I’ve always been a walker of my own way.  I can openly admit that during the thirty three years I invested in Terrestrial Radio I drove a lot of decision makers and leaders over the edge. I truly love those that took that time weekly if not daily to sit me down in their nicely designed programming offices and calmly said, “I like how you try but every so often we need to pull you back.  I’d rather have that on my team then someone that makes no attempt at being truly seen and or heard.” 

Does that mean without that brilliant programming staff and collection of radio consultants that I’m a rule breaker and ball buster on the digital platform? Well… after this episode you’ll have a clearer picture of why people have been known to say, “There are several different ways people host and post their podcasts.  You know exactly what you’re going to get when you tap into the source of sound.  You can’t say that about Arroe.” 

I’m absolutely without a doubt 1,000 percent all over the place!  But rarely does anyone stop to ask why.  They just accept that I’m a weird guy. 

It all begins with how I program podcasting.  What?  I know.  Drop the vocal tracks. Clean it up.  Post the monkey and watch the fans visiting the vocal zoo try to feed the animals.  Yeah ok but that’s not me.

I look at podcasting the same way I see programming a radio station.  It’s not right or wrong in a world still discovering its shape and identity.  First let me clarify a serious point of direction.  The only reason why I never took the required steps to grow into a pair of radio programming slippers is because of the enormous amount of people that literally knew me best. The experience was like the old Cheech and Chong bit.  Look!  What is it?  Looks like dog dung.  What?  Yeah!  Taste.  What?  They knew I’d drive people totally insane with unheard of expectations and that’s not fair to a creative mind and spirit. 

Come on… In 2020 there’s a huge chance you’ve heard and created podcasting and have developed your own opinion as to whether it is or isn’t for you.  It really is the Wild West and there are a lot of performers that aren’t in the mood or mindset to reset their sense of freedom.  It’s gung ho or no go. 

I totally grasp the concept of putting everything on the hook and seeing whatever fish is willing to bite in an ocean so large science won’t even touch it. 

I first began programming podcasts in 2015.  Watching how listeners were popping in for lengthy periods of time listening to several episodes at once I knew I needed to provide a variety of guests rather than focusing on music and movies.  The mission was to bring more lifestyle into the Unplugged and Totally Uncut picture.  People Magazine is brimming with every sort of interview.  We needed to be part of that circle of content. 

At the time I was hosting three different podcasts.  Each one had its own personality but in order to get more reach I needed to cross-pollinate the episodes.  Which meant it was time to figure out who was tapping in and why. 

While creating an umbrella effect of podcasts I still needed to find focus for listeners that didn’t want to see camera people teamed up with musicians.  So that introduced another podcast that was streamlined to bringing those conversations on demand. 

Paying close attention to what’s posted is a full time job.   View From The Writing Instrument is about authors, songwriters and anybody else that depends on using words to get their art out there.  As the program director I had to exercise caution in the way of never putting two published books up back to back.  The bigger bang was coming from the presented variety. 

My side of the business of podcasting was to study how each episode was performing.  It the manuscript writers were hauling butt then I had to think about giving them their own podcast.  I talk to a lot of doctors and have yet to give them their own space.  The hits are there but is it worth being a standalone podcast? 

I host another podcast titled Like Its Live.  It lives up to its name.  Every conversation is posted unedited like its live.  I took a chance on listeners wanting something that wasn’t edited. To be on the edge just as I am when I pop out an odd ball question with a huge hole of dead air at the end.  These conversations are later edited and placed under different umbrella podcasts.

The Lyrics From Billy’s Forest won’t ever make it to Unplugged and Totally Uncut.  There are certain motivational episodes that would push listeners away like a bad Country song.  The same is true with the episodes found on Creativity The Addiction.  Unless it has something to do with what the main umbrella is trying to project then it can’t go up for the sake of having something new. 

Programming my podcasts was a huge gamble in 2015 mainly because the early years for me were about locating a platform that would push what I do out there a little further than most.  I didn’t want to be compared to anyone.  It had to be its own image or I’d walk away.  That meant trusting the gut and tucking in the chin.  

The programming logs are totally taken from the way terrestrial radio does its game.  When you pull back and look at the entire picture a new episode on all the podcast features something new going up every hour. 

Sixteen different podcasts.  One of them always has a new feature.  They all fit under the biggest umbrella labeled Arroe Collins. 

Programming hours are extremely important. 

The only hours for Unplugged and Totally Uncut are 7 10 1 4 10pm

View from the Writing Instrument 8 11 2 5 11pm

The Choice’s hours are 9 12 6 and 9pm

Whereas Like it’s live is midnight til six in the morning. 

So what’s the moral of the story?  Play with it til you break it. Pick it back up.  Glue it together then get ready to break it again.  Crafting your sound and image doesn’t just happen.  It requires chance and a lot of work.  Make it yours.  Unique and worthy.  Don’t stop at what you think a podcast is. Living it like it’s the greatest thing on the planet.  Or like Gene Simmons says nobody will believe it is.