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Last November saw the end of Mushroom FM, the internet radio station where I had been broadcasting Toews on the Waves for quite some time. I am not going to engage in finger-pointing, in name-calling, or in attacking individuals, I'll just say that the politics enshrouding the station near the end, and the way the station was closed, combined to leave me with a very jaundiced view of Internet radio. I was given the opportunity to continue my work with old-time radio through the ACB Radio Treasure Trove, which I love doing, but I honestly wanted no more.
I felt an obligation to my listeners to do one more Christmas special, something that had become a yearly tradition. This I did, and had fully intended to call it quits after that.
Now that I was an outsider looking in, I also started seeing the social interaction that was going on and the way it was being done via social networking, and this further frustrated me. I have documented these frustrations in an earlier blog entry. When I was in Internet radio, I was doing the same things which I now found very frustrating; people were frustrated with me, and I was ignoring their frustrations; to which all I can say is, I am truly sorry. I hope I have learned as I go forward. All this frustration further fuelled my belief that I wanted nothing whatsoever to do with live Internet broadcasting again.
As it happened, though, I did find myself missing some of the aspects of Internet broadcasting. This truly confused me: I was sure I wanted nothing to do with the medium, yet I missed parts of it. I thought that doing a Weird Al special would be the solution for me. But shortly after putting the plan in motion, the idea of doing another show simply made me cringe again, and I backed out, more confused than I had been before, and (this is something I truly regret) confusing other people in the process. Again, for this I am truly sorry.
A friend of mine gently suggested that my frustration with Internet radio, along with the events surrounding the ill-fated Weird Al special, might be an indication that, deep down, I'd really like to go back into broadcasting. I wanted to blow off this suggestion. My dislike of Internet radio, or rather my expressed dislike of Internet radio, was my honest understanding of how I was feeling. But I decided to give her notion some thought. It was at this point in time that I wrote my blog entry, attempting to say, clearly and once for all, what it was that frustrated me about Internet radio. Now that I had been able to say my piece, my antipathy began to diminish. The things that frustrated me about the medium continued, and continue, to annoy me, but I was able to process and deal with it much better, now that I had articulated myself much more clearly than could be done in 140-character chunks on Twitter.
It occurred to me, finally, that my friend seemed to be right: at some level, I did, and do, miss Internet broadcasting. The trick was to fill this void without again bringing on the conditions that led to the crash and burn that happened after Mushroom FM. Rivalries run deep, bitterness runs deeper, I did not, and do not, want to be a part of that. Feelings have been hurt, bridges burned, and what should be a hobby has become a battlefield, complete with alliances, turncoats, traitors, and many casualties along the way. I don't want a part of that. Can it be fully avoided? Probably not, without abandoning live broadcasting completely.
So I decided on a minimalist approach. I chose the station affiliated with ACB Radio Treasure Trove, viz., ACB Radio Interactive. Larry has kindly given me a one-hour time slot, which is exactly what I wanted, so I can keep my hand in Internet broadcasting without risking drowning in it.
While I have not handled things perfectly, and I'll be the very first to admit that, I hope the above gives you a bit of an insight into the confusion, the mixed emotions, and the soul-searching that led me to where I find myself today. It is my firm hope that my time on the outside of Internet broadcasting has taught me a thing or two, and that I practice what I preach, being as courteous as I can to those not interested in my hobby. I'll make mistakes, I'll slip up, but ultimately, I hope the new Toews on the Waves will be something that people can and do enjoy, and if they do not wish to, that they can avoid being smothered by someone else's pet project.
To those whom I have confused over the past few months, my sincerest apology. To those I frustrated in the past with my social networking habits as relates to Toews on the Waves, also, a sincere apology. And finally, to the future. Let's hope all of us involved with this hobby keep it just that: a hobby, fun for everyone. There's room in the water for all who wish to play, and as far as I am concerned, everyone is most welcome.
I felt an obligation to my listeners to do one more Christmas special, something that had become a yearly tradition. This I did, and had fully intended to call it quits after that.
Now that I was an outsider looking in, I also started seeing the social interaction that was going on and the way it was being done via social networking, and this further frustrated me. I have documented these frustrations in an earlier blog entry. When I was in Internet radio, I was doing the same things which I now found very frustrating; people were frustrated with me, and I was ignoring their frustrations; to which all I can say is, I am truly sorry. I hope I have learned as I go forward. All this frustration further fuelled my belief that I wanted nothing whatsoever to do with live Internet broadcasting again.
As it happened, though, I did find myself missing some of the aspects of Internet broadcasting. This truly confused me: I was sure I wanted nothing to do with the medium, yet I missed parts of it. I thought that doing a Weird Al special would be the solution for me. But shortly after putting the plan in motion, the idea of doing another show simply made me cringe again, and I backed out, more confused than I had been before, and (this is something I truly regret) confusing other people in the process. Again, for this I am truly sorry.
A friend of mine gently suggested that my frustration with Internet radio, along with the events surrounding the ill-fated Weird Al special, might be an indication that, deep down, I'd really like to go back into broadcasting. I wanted to blow off this suggestion. My dislike of Internet radio, or rather my expressed dislike of Internet radio, was my honest understanding of how I was feeling. But I decided to give her notion some thought. It was at this point in time that I wrote my blog entry, attempting to say, clearly and once for all, what it was that frustrated me about Internet radio. Now that I had been able to say my piece, my antipathy began to diminish. The things that frustrated me about the medium continued, and continue, to annoy me, but I was able to process and deal with it much better, now that I had articulated myself much more clearly than could be done in 140-character chunks on Twitter.
It occurred to me, finally, that my friend seemed to be right: at some level, I did, and do, miss Internet broadcasting. The trick was to fill this void without again bringing on the conditions that led to the crash and burn that happened after Mushroom FM. Rivalries run deep, bitterness runs deeper, I did not, and do not, want to be a part of that. Feelings have been hurt, bridges burned, and what should be a hobby has become a battlefield, complete with alliances, turncoats, traitors, and many casualties along the way. I don't want a part of that. Can it be fully avoided? Probably not, without abandoning live broadcasting completely.
So I decided on a minimalist approach. I chose the station affiliated with ACB Radio Treasure Trove, viz., ACB Radio Interactive. Larry has kindly given me a one-hour time slot, which is exactly what I wanted, so I can keep my hand in Internet broadcasting without risking drowning in it.
While I have not handled things perfectly, and I'll be the very first to admit that, I hope the above gives you a bit of an insight into the confusion, the mixed emotions, and the soul-searching that led me to where I find myself today. It is my firm hope that my time on the outside of Internet broadcasting has taught me a thing or two, and that I practice what I preach, being as courteous as I can to those not interested in my hobby. I'll make mistakes, I'll slip up, but ultimately, I hope the new Toews on the Waves will be something that people can and do enjoy, and if they do not wish to, that they can avoid being smothered by someone else's pet project.
To those whom I have confused over the past few months, my sincerest apology. To those I frustrated in the past with my social networking habits as relates to Toews on the Waves, also, a sincere apology. And finally, to the future. Let's hope all of us involved with this hobby keep it just that: a hobby, fun for everyone. There's room in the water for all who wish to play, and as far as I am concerned, everyone is most welcome.
