I’m not podcasting news or anything but I thought I’d put my journalism hat on for a moment to discuss an issue that is close to my heart.

Frank Edward Nora from the Overnightscape Podcast has decided to make the push into pay per download podcasting. His new Anything But Monday Show which he will co-host with Mad Mike Masters previewed in his latest Overnightscape posting as a free sample/transitional episode to encourage people to support his existing listeners with the new venture. He insisted the Overnightscape would continue though and it would remain free but may be shortened.

Despite others (including Ricky Gervais) failing to make a success out of similar business models, Frank sounded highly confident that his new show is what people are willing to pay for. He argued that timing was integral to success and discussed the shows origins on independent radio. Claiming that the show too radical back then he confidently stated that the time (and presumably the medium of podcasting) was right and after a successful run of almost 600 episodes of Overnightscape that his push towards premium content was inevitable.

I spoke to Neil Dixon, podcasting expert and former “glorious leader” of Britcaster. He was keen to discuss the perils of monetisation at the listeners expense.

“In a sea of free content, listeners have to be educated to appreciate the actual value of the paid-for content. Incentivisation is the key - give them something much more than what they are paying for, or at the very least make them think they have much more.”

Neil went on to stress the importance of “making it very VERY easy for them to pay and get the content.”

The staff of Spainful Films and conradslater.com would like to wish Frank and Mike the greatest success with their new show.

but…

(and this is wear I take my journalist hat off and slowly and mournfully shake my head for I know good many of you have stopped by reading now assuming this is just a press release by proxy)

I am very sorry to say I will neither be subscribing to the free preview or indeed paying for any podcast - ever.

So why write about it at all?

Whilst the recent Overnightscape was by no means a good example of what the Anything but Monday show will be, in terms of either content of style, some tell tale signs were evident. Based on this shows origins and the investment of professional audio equipment plus of course all this talk of monetisation it all adds up to one thing - a professional sounding radio show. And that is of course the last thing I want on my ipod; for it is that reason why I listen to podcasts and for that reason principally that I listen to the Overnightscape.

As someone who has come to learn how to listen to the Overnightscape and has really come to love the show I found myself harboring a quite natural sense of ownership, and therefore fear that it is going to be taken away from me. I have to admit I came away from listening to Overnightscape 579 angry and a little hurt. The introduction of Mike seemed to personify this threat. Dismissive of Frank’s commentary and at times shocked at mundaneness of it all, I felt my fury build within - wanting to shout “that’s the fucking point you moron!”

I was instead denied that usual 3+ plus hours Unlimited format, denied the sheer majesty of Franks relentless style and even denied the all the usual broken rules that I have come to love. From the rather eerie and uncanny music to Frank punctuating points but speaking far too close to the microphone as if bypassing my ears and speaking straight into my brain.

And then came the fucking crime of the century. One of those awful cliche´d sound boxes. In short, I have no doubt that the Anything but Monday will be more professional than the Overnightscape. It will probably sound much more like a professional radio show. And that’s what Frank wants - after almost 600 episode of Overnightscape who can blame him - I certainly wouldn’t want to begrudge him anything that would help towards his quest to be famous enough to unquestionably be written about on wikipedia.

But I do feel offended. I feel as if that the genius of Overnightscape was all in my head. That maybe is was the way it was because Frank was somehow unable to make it sound ‘professional’ and that really all he wanted was to make a 80s style morning radio show. That the only reason he was so relentlessly funny was because it was all an accidental and he in fact needed to be censored.

I feel like I’ve lost so many of my favourite podcasts of over the last few months, they’ve all faded away and that there wasn’t many more left left to loose. But instead of podfading this time we get to see the Overnightscape die, blow by blow - as long as we pay.