Just weeks after This Week in Technology (T.W.i.T) podcast host Leo Laporte lit up a packed ballroom about the future and struggles facing podcasting at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo, Laporte posted notice on his blog that the end of his popular show could be fast approaching.
Actually, Laporte was a bit more metaphoric about it in a post entitled “No TWiT Today.”
It’s about 80 degrees out – in all likelyhood the last nice day of summer in Northern California – so all the TWiTs decided to play hookey. At the same time. Unfortunately that means there will be no show tonight.
It’s my turn to play hookey next week. I’m off on a Geek Cruise next Friday, and will be gone through November 4, so there will be no TWiT next week either.
I’ll decide what happens to TWiT, the show, when I come back, but at this point it looks like it’s on life support and the heart monitor is flatlining.
During his keynote address, Laporte warned about obstacles facing podcast success. He warned against old media, about greed, about choosing advertising over audience. He didn’t say anything about hookey-playing cast members.
Fans immediately took action setting Save TWiT blogs and Digg.com entries, prodding readers for donations. Laporte’s blog post so far has over 400 comments. But it doesn’t appear to be a financial problem. It’s either a publicity stunt (which worked, obviously) or a publicized dispute intended to embarrass his cast members (which also worked).
Laporte followed up with concerned fans, some of whom swore allegiance to TWiT only, threatening to abandon podcasting forever.
It’s not I who want to take a break. I’m here every week ready to record, edit, and post a show. I gladly put in more time on the show than all the other TWiTs put together, but if the other TWiTs decide not to show there’s not much I can do about it.
At this point I have a couple of choices. I could re-cast the show with people who will actually show up, but is it a TWiT without Patrick and John?
Or I could put TWiT to rest and come up with something to replace it. Neither choice is desirable, especially since we have a sponsor who is paying to be on this show in particular, but frankly it’s more than I can handle trying to keep this cast together.
What’s the future of TWiT? We’ll find out nearer to Election Day.
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