January 07, 2008
Long and Winding Road
As of today, January 7th, I am discontinuing Matt's Today in History permanently. I enjoyed putting the show together for nearly three years, but there are several reasons why I must now shelve the project. First, doing the show was becoming less a labor of love and more another chore to be completed. I never wanted podcasting to get to that point for me, but I believe my mindset changed after I signed with Podshow. I began to see the show as a potential money-maker and, therefore, it stopped being something I could have fun with. In other words, it became a job.
Second, I have responsibilities at home that I am not handling very well. The Lovely Kelli would never ask me to give up podcasting, even though she is working or student teaching about 17 hours a day. But I need to be doing the home chores for which she doesn't have time, and 2-3 hours of podcasting doesn't allow me to do that.
While I am giving up Matt's Today in History for good, I am NOT leaving podcasting. At the end of May, I will introduce a new show, a weekly program dealing with a very specific historical subject. I will probably lose most of my listeners, but I hope the final product will be something useful for educators and researchers. My research and credits will be done properly this time, instead of leaving the listener wondering where the information came from.
Thanks to all of you who have stuck by the show for so long. I hope you will listen to the next show. Stay tuned!
Posted by Matthew at January 7, 2008 07:59 AMTrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.opaquelucidity.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/1259
MTiH will be missed, it was a pioneer in the Podcast industry and as such I will be remiss in not begging you to stay.
I do understand the reasonings, and I wish you and TLK all the best. I will visit here often to see if you are keeping up and then gladly tune in when the new show launches.
Thank you for the fantastic work you did and will continue to do in the future....
Posted by: Bryans at January 7, 2008 09:12 AMThank you, Bryan. One of the things that makes me want to continue the show are those of you who never fail to send an e-mail to see if everything is OK or just to say hello. I know it's a lot to ask everyone to hold out until May, but I believe that at least some of you will love the new show.
Posted by: Matt_D![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.opaquelucidity.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at January 7, 2008 10:10 AM
Couldn't you just continue the "Today in History" as a weekly show? or does Podshow require you to do a daily show? I completely understand the reasons though. I wish more "BOYS" would emulate what you are doing with regards to your home / wife being your primary responsibility - Mark of a "MAN".
TIH will be missed but I am sure the new show will be great. Good luck.
Posted by: Hash at January 7, 2008 12:19 PM
Matt - I'm really going to miss MTIH. It was my favorite podcast, and I still find myself listening to old episodes. But I understand; I'm sure it was a lot of work.
Anyway, I'm interested in your new podcast.
Posted by: John Norris Brown at January 7, 2008 03:29 PMI'm sad to see the end of MTIH. It was the first podcast I discovered and I spent almost the entire summer of 2006 catching up on all the past episodes up to that point. I look forward to your new show and as a married man whose wife spends about 17 hours a day teaching and training our 4 children, I understand your need to be more involved at home.
Thank you.
Posted by: Bruce at January 8, 2008 11:24 PMPodshow and/or signing with it has been the downfall of a few great podcasts and a lowering in quality of others for just the reason you state.It is turning podcasting into the very thing that podcasting was not supposed to be.
I am sad that MTH is going but I understand your reasons, with personal obligations taking precedence as it should. But I look forward to the future endeavors that you mention and you can rest assured this is one listener you will not lose.
Posted by: Reg Baxter at January 10, 2008 04:09 PM
Sad to see MTIH go, but I'm already subscribed to your new podcast! :)
Posted by: Denise at January 19, 2008 07:37 PM