I can’t say, beyond the elementary analytics I get from the site that hosts the podcasts, how many of you listened to the episodes we’ve created over the past couple of years, but rest assured that having a strong, consistent, engaging podcast has always been a goal of mine.
It’s been more than two months–and plenty has happened, to be sure!–since I managed to record the last episode of the Blue Jackets Roundtable. Schedules are tough, hosting costs money, blah blah blah.
As I sat and thought about what I wanted the podcast to be many times over the spring and summer, it occurred to me that the best possible podcast I could come up with would be one that focuses on what our readers–aka the lifeblood of our site–would enjoy the most.
So, here’s what I came up with:
It’s time to start over.
One of the biggest items will be a new name for our podcast. I originally called it The Blue Jackets Roundtable when I was conceiving of a podcast with Matt before I’d even joined The Cannon’s writing staff (since my goal was to gather different writers from different sites, a “roundtable” made sense then. Not so much now that my main guests are other Cannon writers). And here’s the thing: one of you is going to pick the new name of the podcast.
We’re going to review the names submitted via the comments, and we’re going to democratically (I mean the five of us writers) decide which one we like the best. Rec’s in the comments will be a factor, but the final decision will be ours. So, bring your best ideas to the table, and the author of the name that gets picked will be a guest on the first “reboot” edition of the new podcast.
I want this to be OUR podcast, so let’s throw a shovel or two full of dirt on the “Blue Jackets Roundtable,” and let’s build a Cannon podcast that everyone enjoys and that you all actually have some stake in. To that end, I’m coming to you, the readers, with hat in hand. Please take a moment to answer the following questions in the comments, and remember, the new podcast name that we deem to be the best fit will come from you guys, and the person that comes up with it will be a guest on the podcast.
Thanks in advance!
1. When deciding which podcasts to listen to, does length of episodes factor in?
2. How long is the ideal podcast episode?
3. How frequently should we (ideally) record podcast episodes?
4. If you’ve listened to The Blue Jackets Roundtable Podcast episodes, what was the best thing about those episodes?
5. Same as above, only the worst thing about those episodes…
6. What kinds of guests should we go for? Are the podcasts better with bloggers (either our writers or other SBN writers for our rivals), or would you rather see us try to go for a more “national” feel? Should we try to get CBJ players or staff?
7. Do the podcasts work better with just one guest, or do you enjoy when we have multiple guests at the same time (i.e., some of the Dan/Matt/Mike episodes)?
8. Would you listen to the occasional Cannon podcast episode that’s “off topic” (i.e., music, pop culture, Columbus events, etc.)?
And finally, what should The Cannon’s new podcast be called?