Forming A New Online Media Association - OnlineMediaTips.com
You may remember that a few days ago, I talked about the Association for Downloadable Media. I have some concerns about how this association was put together. I posted them here, and John Havens was kind enough to respond to some, but not all of the points I raised.
I have had some discussions with the leaders of the rest of the podcasting and new media community. They too are concerned about some of the very things I raised in my previous post.
We’ve decided to get together to form another association representing ALL podcasters and new media producers. The initial steering group for the Association of Podcasters & Online Media Producers (A working title) consists of Lee Gibbons and Doug Smith from Podango, Scott Bourne from Podango Productions, Leo Laporte from TWIT and Alex Lindsay from Pixelcorps.
We’re not forming this association because we have any ill will towards the ADM. But we do believe there is room for another association, i.e., one that represents podcasters, even if they don’t have $150 laying around to contribute.
So - We’re going to do things a bit differently than the ADM.
For starters, we’re not going to charge you one thin dime to belong to our group. ADM dues range from $150 - $1000. That’s simply too much money for most podcasters. Our association will be underwritten by outside sponsors. A small group of us will initially fund the launch as a gift to the association.
Additionally, we won’t appoint ourselves kings. There is no “interim” board for our association. We do have a steering group, but we want the entire community to pick our leaders. Until that happens, nobody is on the board.
We’re also going to expand our vision to include not only metrics, but lobbying governments to protect our industry.
Everything we do, from the name, to our logo, to our board members, to our focus, will be determined by the members. We aren’t forming this association in secret, and then announcing it. We’ve decided to be transparent right from the start. We’re forming it with your help and input from day one.
The roots for our group go way back. Lee Gibbons from Podango has been heavily involved in metrics with the founding of the Open Metrics.org project. That project never really took off because of concerns over giving the impression that only some would benefit from the association.
With the launch of ADM, which had no such qualms, we decided it was time to move forward with our own effort.
Anyone who is interested in new media, including the founders of ADM, can join our effort free of charge and help us steer this association. I have already talked with some members of the ADM interim board, and they have agreed to join us.
We plan to hold an organizational meeting at the Podcast and New Media Expo in Orange County this coming September. There, we will decide the future and fate of the organization with your help. For those who cannot attend the Expo, we’ll provide a way for you to give input too.
In the mean time, if you’d like to be a part of this effort, just e-mail me at info@podcastingtricks.com with your contact information, and we’ll put you on the list as a member.
We’re open to any ideas the community might have and hope to be able to create an association that can serve the needs of all podcasters and new media producers.
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Scott Bourne is an author, lecturer, teacher and new media pioneer, and the president of Podango Productions in San Francisco, CA. He is the founder of the world's first Internet-only radio network, Netradio, and is a co-host on several prominent podcasts including MacBreak Weekly, Apple Phone Show, the iLifeZone and GMT. Bourne has also been a featured speaker at events such as Macworld Expo and the Podcast & Portable Media Expo.
I applaud any way to create more effective community and progress in this space. Disclosure here, I am involved with ADM as well as the OpenMetrics.org initiative, and LibSyn.
Having podcasters unite under a no-dues association format would provide new options for its members to communicate; looking forward to its progress. That some ADM’ers would be willing to join this group is testament to the fact that both can achieve interesting, important things and that they are not mutually exclusive.
A couple of comments regarding ADM. We decided to call our steering committee a board, it is the organizational norm for a non-profit. The length of interim board residency lasts through the voting period in September, so the kingdom you speak of is limited to a couple operational months. That’s just enough time to set up the organization to enable membership drive and a vote on a real board. Any member (including you if you join us) can be nominated for the board, executive and committee positions; podcasters have just as much ability to lead as other members.
Just wanted to lay out the facts, and that from my perspective, the roles appear to be very similar to your proposed group’s steering committee.
As for costs, it is wonderful you and yours are self sponsoring the operations (if only we had that opportunity! Perhaps you would like to join our group!
), and we have chosen to have our members fund our operations. The idea of sponsor-driven funding although interesting, presents a conflict of interest with our member types, which also include advertisers.
We believe it is the union of all parties– podcasters, advertisers, intermediaries, and distributor–that will optimize our efforts. Areas of work include, identifying workable standards among advertising units so that podcasters, advertisers, distributors and ad intermediaries can operate in an effective ad market for podcasting; also we will focus on outreach, education, and other issues relating to monetization with downloadable media.
We couldn’t be more excited about the fact that new forms of organization are coming to the podespehere in whatever form they take.
Best regards,
Chris MacDonald
Thanks for your comments Chris. I hope you’ll join us. In response, I’d like to make a few points.
While the steering group of our organization and the board of ADM are similar, there is indeed a legal difference and I’ll bet money right now, that you’re board doesn’t change much after your election. In our case, I’ll bet money none of our steering group members will end up on our board. None of us wants that job
As for your contention that advertiser support might present a conflict of interest, I disagree. Then again I know who our potential sponsors are and you don’t.
I’m still waiting to hear more about how the dues ADM charges will be used - specifically - who will be getting paid by ADM to run the association.
Thanks again for taking time to comment.
Scott I think what you’re doing is good. I am very unhappy about the closed process the ADM used to form their group. How can you run a Web 2.0 organization and subscribe to the open approach of the Web 2.0 world? And who is Susan Bratton? How long has she been podcasting? What gives her the credentials to lead this group? Has anyone asked these questions?
Count me in, Scott! I’d love to be part of an organization that promotes podcasting, production and professionalism. I, myself, have never been a political animal, so what you are starting here is highly appealing to me. Looking forward to being involved and passing along some of my own decades of experience in high-end audio production to others in our dynamic and growing community!
Just got off the phone with Klein who told me about this. Naturally, I’m interested since I’m a mulitple media type guy, and am interested in things that cover all grounds, as well as advertising that affects the model of online producer. Yes, a podcast might be part of that, but so are the 347298472389 other ways to crank out media. Good move!
[…] His post reads as follows: Podcasts, or more generically, downloaded media, run the gamut from network TV shows to grade school class projects. In most instances, no one knows for sure how many people listen to any particular podcast. There are also issues like royalties, advertising, ratings and professional conduct that are cropping up as the relatively new medium finds its legs. Now, to help chart the new territory, two associations of podcasters are forming. One, the Association of Downloadable Media requires individual dues of $150 and corporate dues of $1,000. It’s guided by people from Apple and National Public Radio, among others. Another group formed as an answer to ADM under the working name, the Association of Podcasters and Online Media Producers and hopes to charge no annual dues. […]
[…] The following article written by Scott Bourne on OnlineMediaTips.com has an interesting and possible industrial shift article about the recent controversy. […]
[…] … with Tim Bourquin’s Podcast Expo coming up, I’ve gotten no less than six emails in the past week (names withheld to protect the guilty) asking me either what I thought of the ADM and APOMP, ADM vs. APOMP, etc., both as a podcaster and as that PodCamp guy along with Mr. Brogan. […]
[…] We also talked with John about the Association for Downloadable Media and the Online Media Association. […]
[…] The following article written by Scott Bourne on OnlineMediaTips.com has an interesting and possible industrial shift article about the recent controversy. […]