My friend Selwyn Manning and I are wondering what to do with our podcast “A View from Afar.” Some readers will also have tuned into the podcast, which I regularly feature on KP as a media link. But we have some thinking to do about how to proceed, and it is for that reason that I am inviting KP reader feedback.
As readers may know, AVFA has no sponsors, advertisers, subscribers or crowd-sources and generates no revenue. To do the show Selwyn and I sit in our home offices and connect via video link since we live in different parts of NZ We have the occasional visiting guest but the usual format is Selwyn and I having a conversation about something of international interest, including NZ foreign policy when appropriate or pertinent. But most of our conversations are about global events and trends.
The show has been going for five years and gotten some decent recognition amongst those with an eye to geopolitics and strategic analysis from a South Pacific perspective, and has a dedicate core of viewers/listeners who follow the show. AVFA tends to average +/- 500 views on YouTube, which makes it a micro-niche podcast in a world of giants.
I would therefore be interested in reader suggestions as to what to do with AVFA. Selwyn and I will be talking soon about how to proceed, and any input is welcome. As things stand we can close shop and shut down, do an occasional “special edition” broadcast when significant global events happen, do a semi-regular or regular limited broadcast schedule (say, once a month), or try to do weekly or biweekly broadcasts. TBH, I believe that we do not have the resources to do anything more than once a month, as we do not have research assistance or external funding that would allow at least one of us to dedicate our time to the broadcast, and have other things to do in order to keep financially solvent. Selwyn does all of the technical work on top of his business ventures, and I have consultancy commitments that take me away from the more general-but-specific type of analysis that we offer on AVFA.
So the question is: from where to from here?
The lack of sponsors is presumably a conscious decision.
If that is the case, monthly is fine if it’s possible.
Stephen,
We tried for NZ on Air once and got rejected at the first step. We have not found an institution, foundation or other agency that has offered to help, and are wary of strings attached in any event.
AVFA is I believe an important voice so if its to continue I’d be satisfied with at least once a month. There is very little intelligent and insightful geopolitical dialogue in Aotearoa and only Bernard Hickey and Peter Bale on the Hoon is comparable to AVF (although the Hoon admirably covers may topics and is not just focused on geopolitics). With the ever increasing tensions around the world AVFA is compelling listening.
Thanks Dave,
I will share these thoughts with Selwyn so that we can chart a course of action.
As a life long politics follower and participant, “A View from Afar” is a valuable ’cast with intelligent, competent and knowledgeable presenters.
Don’t be slaves to a schedule or admin work, produce it when something significant happens is my view, but having said that–many other podcasts seek subscriptions to keep them ticking over which would require some degree of regularity if you went that route.
Hope you can carry on regardless.
Thanks Alec,
As I said to Dave, I shall pass your thoughts on to Selwyn. I tend to agree that once month is about all we can do but Selwyn is the producer and host of the show so he has the final say.
I am always checking to see if you and selwyn have put up your AVFA latest pod it fascinates me to here your wisdom and objective insights
Right now, I’m desperate to find out your thoughts on the situation in the USA and particularly Ukraine
I agree the monthly would be good. I’ve never counted, but it felt like it was about that beforeMike
Much thanks Mike.
We are planning to start up again in the next few weeks, doing the show once a month with special shows scheduled if something big happens in world affairs. The summer turned out busier that I thought it would and Selwyn, always the innovator/entrepreneur, has been busy with some new projects that sound quite promising. We will be back.
Kia ora Pablo,
I find the links between the eye opening goings-on in the United States and the current political situation in NZ to be very interesting.
On the question of funding, I wonder if it is possible to set up a YT platform, or to be funded via Patreon? I’m sure there are other options, it might be wise to seek the wise counsel of a ‘digital native’/Gen Zer for help.
I think it would be delightful to hear your opinions on the antics of the current administrations in the US/NZ and you might find your posts get a lot of attention! I hope you can keep your opinions as forthright as ever, and your platform as independent as possible, and avoid any ‘strings attached’.
Thanks Jean, and welcome (I see that this is listed as your first comment).
Selwyn and I have decided to indefinitely pause “AVFA.” He is wrapped up in a major project and I am lacking the motivation to continue the podcasts as we have (I need a different type of incentive structure so that the show does not feel to me like a vanity project). You can find “AVFA” on YouTube and eveningreport.nz. We did try for some NZ on Air funding a while back but got nowhere. It may be possible that Selwyn’s project–a new interactive platform–will allow us to resume the show on slightly different terms. Monetarization to cover production costs is always an issue. Here at KP I just pay WordPress a monthly fee and DreamHost a yearly fee in order to keep things going. But at some point that will have to stop as well. Meanwhile, all of the “AVFA” episodes are available on YouTube.
Bottom line is that Selwyn is busy and I have lost my mojo.