KSL's COLD podcast moving exclusively to Amazon

[CAwasinNJ]

radioink.com/2021/02/11/bonneville-podcast-goes-exclusively-to-amazon/

This seems like the wrong move to me. In my opinion KSL should be using the success of this series to drive listeners to other products they own, not becoming a small cog in the Amazon machine. Use this as a launchpad for other topics that might be of interest to listeners. KSL has dozens of podcasts so why not promote them and keep all of that attention themselves? As one stop on the Amazon Train listeners presumably will still get COLD but then move on and the other podcasts they subscribe to will likely be from other producers. That doesn't help KSL.

There's also the problem of becoming reliant on a third party. If Amazon cancels the distribution of the show most people aren't going to try figuring out where it came from. They'll just move on to something else. This is the danger of the much larger problem of relying on someone else who holds your fate in their hands (like Facebook.) My advice is to use these third parties to drive listeners to YOUR platform that YOU control. That way even if the third party turns off your presence there you still have everyone who found you earlier.

[drpepper]

Couldn't agree more. plus they could use radio.com for all their podcasts. amazon could just be a nice secondary option where people can listen.

[levoix]

Absolutely agree. Drive traffic from 3rd party platforms to what you own and control, which is your own website.

[kenglish]

I thought broadcasters wanted to find more ways to get their product to the consumer.
Do we make KSL Newsradio only available on AM, not FM or streaming? KSL-TV only on DISH, but not over-the-air, DirecTV, Cable or streaming?
There must be some big money involved.

[CAwasinNJ]

I meant to bring up the money aspect but I forgot. Thanks for reminding me Ken. I'm sure there's big money involved. It might look pretty good in the short term but I prefer to look at the total dollars in the long term. The "what makes money fastest" philosophy seems rampant in the industry as a whole because that's what stockholders look at. Fortunately Bonneville/KSL doesn't have to worry about that but they still might be in that mindset.

[henry]

Podcasting is in a weird no-man's land. Ideally, getting stuff up behind paywalls is good for creators. It generates steady revenue and let's you produce NETFLIX-quality content, instead of YOUTUBE content (proverbially speaking). I can understand KSL chasing a carrot which is that sweet.

Trade off? COLD would have never been a smash success had it been paywalled.

Perhaps they could follow the SESAME STREET - HBO model and release new exclusive episodes behind a paywall (HBO) and then after 6-12 months, release them for free (PBS).

Amazon for a period of time, then free on KSL.com... "or wherever you listen to podcasts."

[CAwasinNJ]

It isn't clear to me whether a paywall is involved. I understand that some of Amazon's podcast are free and others are free with Amazon Prime which a LOT of people already have.