18 May 2012

The Status of Geneabloggers Radio




In case you missed this, Thomas MacEntee posted this notice on his blog, GeneaBloggers, last month.  I have to say that I have always been impressed with the “energy” that Thomas has brought to all his endeavors, his blog, the radio program, his FGS duties, conference talks and so much more!  And, I’m not surprised that he’s had to make this decision – after all we all only have so many hours in a day during which we can do what we need to do and follow our passions!

Which GeneaBloggers radio program(s) have you personally found most helpful?

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So, what’s going on with GeneaBloggers Radio, you might ask? Well I’ve been doing a bit of soul searching – actually a lot of soul searching – in terms of goals and direction for my radio show. I hope you’ll let me share some of my thoughts and also allow me to give you a status update.

 

Status and Stuff

First, the status. I’ve decided to put GeneaBloggers Radio on an “irregular” schedule for the time being.  This means the show won’t be broadcast on its regular Friday evening schedule.
Second, this doesn’t mean that GeneaBloggers Radio is ending or going away.  I need a break and more than just the periodic night off.  How can I tell?  Well, for me there are two indicators of when it is time for a change – just like hitting a plateau in a diet:
o       If I don’t feel that “fire in the belly” or that “driving force” to produce a body of work, like a weekly radio show, then it’s time to re-evaluate.
o       And if something feels “forced” and I’m “going through the motions,” then that is also a good indicator that change is needed.

 

What It Takes To Produce A Weekly Radio Show

Producing a weekly radio show is hard work. It takes about five hours each week to just line up topics, guests and do the production work. Then there is the publicity and marketing. Then the actual show.  All told, each 90 minute episode requires at least nine hours of my time each week. I can handle the amount of time, but when my heart isn’t in it, well then, as I said, it is time to figure out if that same nine hours can be used in another manner to help spread the good word about genealogy and family history.

 

Is Radio Right for Genealogy?

I still believe that Internet radio is a valuable venue and media channel for the genealogy industry. I also ask that while GeneaBloggers Radio is on hiatus, that my listeners follow some other great shows:
o       Research at the  National Archives and Beyond with Bernice Bennett on BlogTalkRadio
o       Your Ancestors Want Their Stories to Be Told with Jane E. Wilcox on BlogTalkRadio

And don’t forget that there are over 60 archives episodes of GeneaBloggers Radio located in the On Demand Section here or via the iTunes store!

 

The Future of GeneaBloggers Radio

Finally, I’d love your feedback about GeneaBloggers Radio and the direction it should take in the future.  I’ve thought about developing a genealogy radio game show similar to NPR’s Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me! which would require a good deal of production resources. As I’ve said, the entire concept of genealogy radio is open for discussion . . . please email me your thoughts or let’s start a discussion in the comments or over on the GeneaBloggers Radio page on Facebook.

 

A Heartfelt Thank You

Whatever happens with GeneaBloggers Radio, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the many guests and co-hosts who’ve graced the air waves and helped make the show a success.  However, the biggest thanks go to the many faithful listeners who made me and the show part of their “Friday night date.” The good times are not over . . . they’ll continue, but on a different schedule and perhaps a different format.




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