If you haven’t already heard, Bob & Sheri will become a podcast-only show beginning on Monday, January 3. I wanted to take a moment to share why Sheri and I have made this decision—it’s not one we took lightly.
What does this mean for you as a listener? We think it means a better listening experience because you can now listen to the show whenever you want, on any device.
First, how did we get here? As a syndicated show, we generate money by selling ads within our show. The radio stations that carry the show agree to air the commercials we sell in exchange for the rights to broadcast the show in their area. Over the past several years, changes in technology and audience behavior have let national advertisers spend their dollars elsewhere, resulting in fewer dollars for our show and others like ours. For us, that means we won’t make payroll and will have to shut the show down.
Some shows are supported by the company that owns the radio station where they originate; others are part of an entire lineup of shows produced by large companies. We are independent, so we don’t have a corporation to support us. Although the ad dollars have dwindled, our desire to continue producing a show for you hasn’t changed. That’s why we’ve decided to drop the syndication in favor of delivering the show directly to listeners like you. We’ll need your support to make it a success.
Some of you know that we’ve been podcasting since 2006, when almost nobody knew podcasts existed. We thought podcasts would be a great way for listeners to keep up with the show if a local affiliate should drop us. Over the years, more people began listening to the podcast for several reasons: A short commute making it hard to hear the whole show; repetitive music; too many interruptions. With the podcast, what would take four hours to listen to on the radio becomes a little less than 90 minutes, with fewer interruptions.
What will the podcast sound like? If you’ve never listened to a podcast, you’ll find the show almost identical to what you hear right now. Same features, same people, same fun. What will change is the structure. We must do a few things to work within stations’ time constraints and rating requirements. As a podcast, we won’t be held to strict time limits; there will be a lot fewer commercials, and we won’t have to repeat the show’s name as often as we do on radio. Otherwise, you’ll hear the same show you enjoy now.
The transition has already begun! We have let our affiliate stations know the radio version of the show will end on December 31. Some stations will stay till the end; others will drop the show much sooner. That’s why we are encouraging all our listeners to make the move to the podcasts sooner rather than later.
We know some of you have never listened to a podcast and aren’t sure how to subscribe. We put together a video showing how easy it is. Here’s the link. (video link)
Right now, you can hear the podcast for free on all the major podcast platforms, our website, and the Bob & Sheri app until December 31. Or you can save money and subscribe to Bob & Sheri Premium now for just $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Bob & Sheri Premium gives you The Daily Show, The Oddcast, Talking Lamar, and True Weird Stuff. It also gives you access to over a dozen of our comedy CDs, Chatroom calls, and other behind-the-scenes content. Beginning on January 3, a subscription will cost $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. This is the lowest price we can charge to keep the business going. If you opt for the annual plan at $49.99, we will honor that price until 2027, so you save money by subscribing now.
As we’ve said, this is one of the most difficult decisions we’ve had to make, yet we have no choice. The syndication model is no longer generating enough money to keep the lights on. With your help, we will be able to continue to do what we love.
