Podcasting Announcement

[zdunklee]

I sent an email to free beer after getting no response from eric, he responded by saying that there was a lot of feedback we don't know about in favour of the change and, though they understand people are upset they are convinced this is the right course of action. Here's the back & forth-for what it's worth:


To: <!-- e --><a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a><!-- e -->
Sent: Friday, August 7, 2009 10:27:49 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Member - Podcasts

Although I doubt this will even be read, let alone responded to- I wanted to ask you to at least read the feedback you're getting on the 'podcast announcement' thread of your forum section. Your response that taking away a large chunk of the show's content is an 'upgrade' is complete bullshit. You guys have made a market by giving the impression that you relate to people on their level, however in this instance you're coming off like a bunch of arrogant pricks. How would you feel if your cable or satellite company contacted you and said they were cancelling a bunch of your favorite sports channels because 'some people might not like them', and expressed their confidence that people would enjoy the upgrade. If you'll take the time to look, you'll see that not one person has posted in favor of removing the local breaks out of the podcasts-if that means anything to you then for fuck's sake put the podcasts back the way they were-or at least include the local breaks in the single large file. I personally downloaded audio editing software and sat every night removing the gaps, just so I could hear the local content in the podcasts-and I know that several other people did the same. We are willing to work through the changes with you, but are not keen on taking it up the ass, and then being told it's an 'upgrade'.
Alternatively, ignore this email and all the other feedback people are giving you on this-and confirm everyone's suspicions that shit has changed beyond recognition with regard to how you guys treat your most loyal fanbase. I sincerely hope this isn't the case.

Free Beer responds:


While your email gets mighty personal in its attacks and starts off with a shitty attitude, I still read it and I am replying.


I'm not going to try and convince you that you are wrong, nor do I agree with your point. Based on the feedback we get, which goes far beyond the message (but does not exclude it) tells us this is the right thing to do. I'm sorry that you don't like it. (genuinely)

My response:

O.K, well thanks for replying at least. Shitty attitude notwithstanding, if I and others didn't enjoy the show we wouldn't give a crap about what was included, would we?
It just makes no sense, and is symptomatic of a general 'big league' attitude that you guys seem to have in this regard. This whole situation has colored the show in a completely different light for me, and I'm saddened to lose what has been a source of great enjoyment over the last couple of years. To react to situations where paying customers are upset with what you are doing with the product they've already paid for with attitude and insults rather than re-thinking your course of action is strange to me. It doesn't seem too much of a hardship to at least give people a choice to have the content they paid for-however your thin-skinned response has convinced me that you are assured of your own moral high ground on this issue and, as a result we are at an impasse.
Present issues aside, I have enjoyed your show and wish you continued success in your endeavours. I am not, as others have, going to threaten to boycott the show-however from a practical standpoint I will probably be cancelling my VIP membership and will just tune in occasionally on the radio.
Thanks for the time-sincerely.

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As far as I can see, they're digging their heels in and it's only going to be people cancelling their subscriptions that is going to send a stronger message to them. As for me, this isn't worth my blood pressure, so I'm going to give it a month from the sidelines and see what happens.

I'm not even mad about losing the local breaks before the segments, I am however pissed about losing segment 16 because that is something that everyone can either choose to listen to or not seeing as it is an entire segment and at the very end of the podcast as well. Unlike the traffic and weather reports segment 16 is actually a decent length of time more often than not and has many funny segments and good interviews. I don't see many that have issues with just the local breaks missing, but even people who have said negative things about the local breaks have said they would like segment 16 to be there.