Mostly Not TV: Marc Maron threatens to end his podcast
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Steve Timko
Oct 22, 2015, 4:22:49 PM10/22/15
to TV or Not TV
Marc Maron was interviewed at the New Yorker fest and mentioned he
finally got his long-sought interview with Lorne Michaels for his WTF
Podcast. For those not familiar with the story, Lorne talked to Maron
about replacing Norm MacDonald on "Weekend Update." It was just
Michaels and someone else from the staff in the final interview. Maron
said there was a big bowl of candy on his desk and at one point Maron
decided to reach for a candy. Michaels shot a look to the other
person, as Maron remembered it.
Maron has obsessed about it in Maron-like fashion.When Maron announced
on the show he had gotten the interview, he mentioned he used to joke
it would be his last interview for WTF. He hinted he might end the
podcast or make some changes. He said he didn't know what he was going
to do. He has not announced his plans in subsequent episodes. He seems
to be backing away from the idea of ending the podcast. In today's
podcast with James Taylor (excellent interview if you like Taylor's
music but don't know his backstory, including his heroin addiction) he
hinted the Michaels interview will drop soon.
Hinting that he might end the podcast might simply be a way to build
suspense and bring more attention to the podcast, which is passing
some milestone like 20 million downloads (I don't remember the
specific number).
Part of me think Maron would be nuts to end it. Just in the last few
weeks, he added Chipotle as a sponsor. He's had a couple of others
cash advertisers. Most of his advertising is like Stamps.com or
Audible where he gets a cut when someone signs up for the service
using his promo code. Hell, I'll bet Kevin would commit acts forbidden
in Utah and a few other states to get Chipotle as a sponsor.
Maron also seems to be cruising on a post Obama glow. He seems to have
snagged many more big-name guests after interviewing Obama.
On the other hand, Maron has warned in the past that if he got enough
money -- and he didn't know how much that would be -- he would pack it
all in and walk away. I don't get the feeling he's getting rich from
his IFC TV show. But if he wanted to leave on top this would be the
time to do it.
On today's podcast he said he was getting office space down the road,
which suggests to me he wants to continue the podcast. I guess we'll
know when he releases the Michaels podcast.
finally got his long-sought interview with Lorne Michaels for his WTF
Podcast. For those not familiar with the story, Lorne talked to Maron
about replacing Norm MacDonald on "Weekend Update." It was just
Michaels and someone else from the staff in the final interview. Maron
said there was a big bowl of candy on his desk and at one point Maron
decided to reach for a candy. Michaels shot a look to the other
person, as Maron remembered it.
Maron has obsessed about it in Maron-like fashion.When Maron announced
on the show he had gotten the interview, he mentioned he used to joke
it would be his last interview for WTF. He hinted he might end the
podcast or make some changes. He said he didn't know what he was going
to do. He has not announced his plans in subsequent episodes. He seems
to be backing away from the idea of ending the podcast. In today's
podcast with James Taylor (excellent interview if you like Taylor's
music but don't know his backstory, including his heroin addiction) he
hinted the Michaels interview will drop soon.
Hinting that he might end the podcast might simply be a way to build
suspense and bring more attention to the podcast, which is passing
some milestone like 20 million downloads (I don't remember the
specific number).
Part of me think Maron would be nuts to end it. Just in the last few
weeks, he added Chipotle as a sponsor. He's had a couple of others
cash advertisers. Most of his advertising is like Stamps.com or
Audible where he gets a cut when someone signs up for the service
using his promo code. Hell, I'll bet Kevin would commit acts forbidden
in Utah and a few other states to get Chipotle as a sponsor.
Maron also seems to be cruising on a post Obama glow. He seems to have
snagged many more big-name guests after interviewing Obama.
On the other hand, Maron has warned in the past that if he got enough
money -- and he didn't know how much that would be -- he would pack it
all in and walk away. I don't get the feeling he's getting rich from
his IFC TV show. But if he wanted to leave on top this would be the
time to do it.
On today's podcast he said he was getting office space down the road,
which suggests to me he wants to continue the podcast. I guess we'll
know when he releases the Michaels podcast.
Kevin M.
Oct 22, 2015, 5:56:45 PM10/22/15
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
On Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 1:22 PM, Steve Timko <steve...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hinting that he might end the podcast might simply be a way to build
suspense and bring more attention to the podcast, which is passing
some milestone like 20 million downloads (I don't remember the
specific number).
Part of me think Maron would be nuts to end it. Just in the last few
weeks, he added Chipotle as a sponsor. He's had a couple of others
cash advertisers. Most of his advertising is like Stamps.com or
Audible where he gets a cut when someone signs up for the service
using his promo code. Hell, I'll bet Kevin would commit acts forbidden
in Utah and a few other states to get Chipotle as a sponsor.
I'm allergic to citrus, and literally everything in Chipotle is "citrus infused," so though I'd take an ad deal with them, I could not endorse their product without lying. I'd prefer the Inland Empire's Miguel's Jr be a sponsor.
Maron also seems to be cruising on a post Obama glow. He seems to have
snagged many more big-name guests after interviewing Obama.
On the other hand, Maron has warned in the past that if he got enough
money -- and he didn't know how much that would be -- he would pack it
all in and walk away. I don't get the feeling he's getting rich from
his IFC TV show. But if he wanted to leave on top this would be the
time to do it.
On today's podcast he said he was getting office space down the road,
which suggests to me he wants to continue the podcast. I guess we'll
know when he releases the Michaels podcast.
There is a reason comics do podcasts... it is a terrific self-promotional vehicle, and an automatic resume reel for other potential jobs. Maron uses his podcast expertly to cross-promote his stand up, his book, his TV show, etc. He's a top-tier podcaster, but I'd still doubt that the actual revenue the WTF podcasts pull in makes up a decent living wage.
'Tis folly to try to consider podcasting as a career, regardless of how many sponsors you can line up. But to use podcasts as a career-booster/enhancer... well, that's what Maron has done quite well, and what I would ultimately like to do too.
I'm not trying to follow the WTF model, though of course I'd enjoy that level of success. I joke on my podcasts about the lack of sponsorship, but truth be told the "enter promocode" sort of monetization is a tax nightmare. The only comparison I would draw between what Maron does and what I do is that we both started podcasts from the standpoint of "f*ck it... I'm going to do what I want with whomever I want, and people will either like it or not." That is how I ended up chatting with Alannah "Black Velvet" Myles for my podcast episode due to be posted this coming Sunday, and how that episode became a lesson in accounting and entertainment law by a woman who was cheated out of millions in royalties but somehow managed to not grow bitter or cynical.
See what I did there... I promoted my self-promotional vehicle. Very meta.
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
Steve Timko
Oct 23, 2015, 9:20:44 AM10/23/15
to 'David Bruggeman' via TVorNotTV
I bet Maron gets $1,500 to $2,000 for each podcast. He has to pay his producer and his production costs. What is left over I'll bet is not insignificant.
Sent from TypeMail
Tom Wolper
Oct 26, 2015, 5:15:18 PM10/26/15
to TV or not TV
On Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 4:22 PM, Steve Timko <steve...@gmail.com> wrote:
Marc Maron was interviewed at the New Yorker fest and mentioned he
finally got his long-sought interview with Lorne Michaels for his WTF
Podcast. For those not familiar with the story, Lorne talked to Maron
about replacing Norm MacDonald on "Weekend Update." It was just
Michaels and someone else from the staff in the final interview. Maron
said there was a big bowl of candy on his desk and at one point Maron
decided to reach for a candy. Michaels shot a look to the other
person, as Maron remembered it.
Maron has obsessed about it in Maron-like fashion.When Maron announced
on the show he had gotten the interview, he mentioned he used to joke
it would be his last interview for WTF. He hinted he might end the
podcast or make some changes. He said he didn't know what he was going
to do. He has not announced his plans in subsequent episodes.
From listening to him I never got the impression that he was making plans to end the podcast. In the wake of interviewing the president with all of the subsequent attention there would be no upside to ending the podcast and trying to start something new from scratch. The exception would be if a media company were to pay him big bucks to do his interviews on radio or TV, but Maron has enough experience in those media to know that he would not get a free hand to conduct the interviews the way he can on the podcast.
The Lorne Michaels interview probably bring a transition to WTF. The transition has been happening and the Michaels interview will end the first era of the show. The first era was about comedy and Maron would interview comedians and share stories from the clubs, the road, and trying to get work in TV. Maron's own story was one of frustration with his career and he shared it with his guests. In his mind the central frustration was his SNL job interview with Michaels. The WTF interview will close that story.
Maron rarely interviews comedians any more. He has been interviewing actors, directors, writers, artists, playwrights, and especially musicians. The next era of WTF will have less of Maron and his career frustrations and be more about the guests.
Steve Timko
Mar 13, 2019, 11:35:20 PM3/13/19
to TV or Not TV
On Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 2:56 PM Kevin M. <drunkba...@gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 1:22 PM, Steve Timko <steve...@gmail.com> wrote:
Part of me think Maron would be nuts to end it. Just in the last few
weeks, he added Chipotle as a sponsor. He's had a couple of others
cash advertisers. Most of his advertising is like Stamps.com or
Audible where he gets a cut when someone signs up for the service
using his promo code. Hell, I'll bet Kevin would commit acts forbidden
in Utah and a few other states to get Chipotle as a sponsor.
(snip)
There is a reason comics do podcasts... it is a terrific self-promotional vehicle, and an automatic resume reel for other potential jobs. Maron uses his podcast expertly to cross-promote his stand up, his book, his TV show, etc. He's a top-tier podcaster, but I'd still doubt that the actual revenue the WTF podcasts pull in makes up a decent living wage.'Tis folly to try to consider podcasting as a career, regardless of how many sponsors you can line up. But to use podcasts as a career-booster/enhancer... well, that's what Maron has done quite well, and what I would ultimately like to do too.
Maron gets into the some of the specifics of his podcast with producer Brendan McDonald in the 1,000th podcast. It's a good podcast for fans of the snow. At 2 1/2 hours, I'm not sure the podcast has much interest for those who aren't fans of the show.
At any rate, Maron said the show became a pretty good cash generator. McDonald was able to quit his job at MSNBC and go to work full time for WTF in 2013 because the show was bringing in enough money. He talks about certain episodes that boosted the show's profile and increased its popularity and one of those is the Obama interview. The show jumped so much in prestige and revenue that McDonald was able to buy a home in the New York City area. He calls it the home Obama bought.
It's a bare bones operation. One interesting tidbit is that McDonald spends about three hours editing each episode on average. Some get a lot more. The edits are not obvious.
They now use a booking agent to get guests. It was a woman who used to do it for Letterman. And they hired Midroll to sell ads.
I'd still like to know what the ads sell for.
Steve Timko
Mar 14, 2019, 12:23:58 AM3/14/19
to TV or Not TV
I saw this Hollywood Reporter article from 2015 that said some ads on WTF sell for as much as $15,000. And that was before Obama.
Jim Ellwanger
Mar 14, 2019, 12:32:34 AM3/14/19
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
On Mar 13, 2019, at 9:23 PM, Steve Timko <steve...@gmail.com> wrote:I saw this Hollywood Reporter article from 2015 that said some ads on WTF sell for as much as $15,000. And that was before Obama.
Midroll says their podcast ads run from $18 to $50 (or more) per thousand downloads: http://www.midroll.com/podcast-advertising-faq/
To save you from doing the math, $15,000 at that $50 CPM rate would equal 300,000 downloads.
Kevin M.
Mar 14, 2019, 11:56:02 PM3/14/19
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
Admittedly, my extended hiatus from podcasting might be influencing me a bit, but once the initial cost/investment in recording gear is made, the only real expense is payment to whomever hosts the podcast file. SoundcloudPro is $15 a month. I confess, I’m envious of any podcast that has a talent coordinator, since I genuinely despise the process of scheduling interviews. Even my rinky-dink podcast was able to get some decent names to appear, but other big names who in many cases have made written commitments never came to be due to inept managers and the fact I have no tolerance for PR people. So although I got agreements from Lisa Loeb, Grace Slick, Debbie Gibson, and — only because I never expected a reply — Kathy Ireland, alas those episodes exist only in my imagination (note: in my imagination I’m now married to at least one of those women).
Editing time seems about right. I would usually edit an episode in a single evening. When I edited my show, most of the time was spent cutting out lengthy pauses in conversation (while one or both of us were contemplating questions or answers) or word vomit (errant ums and uhs) to make the flow more listenable, or balancing the audio from the other segments I included in each episode. Episodes where I conducted the interview via Skype or phone took longer because I’d work hard to get the levels right between the two sources.
The only ads I had on my shows were for my PayPal (where I took in a whopping $10) and the website where people can buy my books (the only book I’ve sold in the past several years was one of my Peace Corps books, sold to the daughter of a woman I dated when I lived overseas and wrote about in the book... awkward). There were ways I could’ve secured sponsorship easily (Amazon is the most common), but I never really invested any time or energy into trying.
I still listen to WTF, though more for specific guests than the host (which is the opposite of hat drew me to the show initially). The Bugle still gets weekly listens. Mo Rocca’s new podcast is well-produced, and I find Mo to be very likable. The Infinite Monkey Cage just wrapped up another series which I like (even though I don’t find Brian Cox to be as likable as he thinks he is). I have not discovered any of the true-crime shows to be to my liking, but that’s mostly because they are all as depressing and dark as Law & Order, and I prefer podcasts with a lighter topic and tone. For those who like audiobooks and podcasts, I recently bought several installments of a BBC series presented by Stephen Fry called Fry’s English Delight which are thoroughly enjoyable. For those who liked my own podcast, it will return eventually. I conducted one interview before my family demanded my attention, but I’m back in California and figuring out what is the new normal for me these days. Once I do, my podcast will return, with or without Kathy Ireland is entirely up to her PR people.
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Kevin M. (RPCV)
Steve Timko
May 16, 2020, 3:29:55 PM5/16/20
to TV or Not TV
There's some discussion in this group about Marc Maron. Lynn Shelton, a director who has been his girlfriend for the last year or so, has died from a blood disease.
Kevin M.
May 16, 2020, 3:48:21 PM5/16/20
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
This is sad news... Maron has been talking about Lynn a lot on his live Instagram stories, joking that she’s somehow managed to get sick from something not Covid related.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAH5J8yzMLXv1wJETkrP6%2BZeMkHXwhK3D3PrhHk02WOtP_YViog%40mail.gmail.com.
Kevin M. (RPCV)
Tom Wolper
May 18, 2020, 12:44:36 PM5/18/20
to TV or not TV
On Sat, May 16, 2020 at 3:48 PM Kevin M. <drunkba...@gmail.com> wrote:
This is sad news... Maron has been talking about Lynn a lot on his live Instagram stories, joking that she’s somehow managed to get sick from something not Covid related.
It was incredibly sad and I was shocked that there was a new episode of WTF today. I thought Maron would take at least a week off. It was a replay of his 2015 interview with Lynn bookended by some extremely emotional public grieving. I have never seen nor heard anything like it.
Kevin M.
May 19, 2020, 11:34:44 PM5/19/20
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
I listened to it last night; it was hard. As most on the list know, within the span of about a year I lost my oldest nephew (from PTSD/suicide) and my mom (from heart disease, basically broken heart syndrome after her grandson died). I was hosting my podcast full-time at the time, and I did record an episode wherein I unleashed all my emotions. I did not post that episode. I don’t think I could ever bring myself to listen to it again. Hearing Marc Maron pour out his heart was a gut punch. Hearing that much grief so immediately expressed is very hard. I commend him for having the courage to share it, and I hope as he said that the love and support he’s been getting from others will help get him through this.
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Kevin M. (RPCV)
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