Steve Gillmor and Leo LaPorte Say “Who The Hell is ADM?”
I noticed a stream of Twitters going by yesterday from podcasters Leo LaPorte and Steve Gillmor about the ADM. They caught wind of our Ad Council press release and hadn’t heard of the ADM before.
Here are their comments:
We need to continue to reach out as an organization and educate producers and networks who want to monetize their content about our mission.
Dave Hamilton and I Twittered back details and invited them to join. Leo has been invited more than once. If any of our members would like to connect with Leo or Dave or Steve, I’d encourage you to do so.
And I want to restate that what ever standards and guidelines we come out with with always be voluntary. They are to help move the industry forward, not to be limiting in any way. You can support the ADM standards (if you want to) and also offer “out of the box” opportunities to sponsors and advertisers. One does not preclude the other.
Leo, Dave and Steve, this is an open invitation to join us in our hard work to bring more revenue into the industry for all of the wonderful content creators and networks out there.
We welcome you.
If this moves forward without these pioneers, there is no true standard being set. These men reach hundreds of thousands of people and are the thought leaders of podcasting. Doing this without them will not mean much in the eyes of many.
I would put the chances of them joining about the same as having Scott Bourne happily becoming a member.
Scott a member, sure. Happily, maybe not.
Anyone who listens to TWiT knows these guys love to jab. They’re great at it. The worst thing anyone can do is take offense at anything Leo or Dave says. They actually say what other people are always thinking but are afraid to say. They’re too old to give a crap what anyone thinks anymore. I’m at the beginning of that stage — it’s a great place.
So yes, please, everyone reach out to them to join, participate, speak up, so that we can have the best minds in on this. You take Todd Cochrane for example. Sure, he’s had a lot of negative things to say, but at least he’s active with this and holding our feet to the fire.
If we want monetization in podcasting/downloadable media to grow (start, really), then the ADM is an absolute must.
I wouldn’t worry about who hasn’t joined, but rather who has joined that will become the next set of pioneers. Podcasting and digital media is evolving and their will be a whole bunch of new players and emperors. Let’s maintain our integrity and focus on ADM. If they join, they join. If they don’t, someone else will take their place of equal or greater importance in the very near future.
The arrogance here of the “pioneers” is astounding. “How dare anyone try to make progress without consulting us!”
Gimme a break.
Podcasting has grown larger than any one of us now and it’s time to stop worrying about what any one individual thinks and go ahead with what will be best for as many of us as possible.
Continue on ADM…the voices of those who think they are too important to be left behind will continue to get quieter as the train leaves them behind at the station. They had their chance to get on board.
A lot of folks have made a lot of comments without having done a lot of (or even a little) research on ADM, it’s purpose, and why it got started. Regardless of how long people have been podcasting or what their roles were and are and how they make or mostly don’t make money, a huge and continuing frustration for podcasters is selling media space. A big reason that keeps ads out of podcasts is that media buyers base decision on numbers that are spawn of standards. Traditional media has those standards. New media doesn’t. No standards, no ads — it’s the way media buyers work.
The ADM is composed of podcasters and others who are feeling that pain. The standards they are setting will go a long way to elevate what some believe is an obscure medium into something media buyers can consider seriously. Those initial set of standards, already praised by the Ad Council review, are being presented during AdTech in mid-April.
The standards don’t guarantee that podcasters will start making big bucks just as any TV show will be a hit just because it sells ad space. Podcast success is still about compelling content. But if ADM has its way, a lack of standards will not stand in the way of success. Podcasters will succeed and fail on their own.
Do podcasters have to meet or agree to any standard? No. Is ADM some obscure group that formed in secrecy, convened in catacombs, and put up barbed wire to keep folks out? No. They’ve been very open and even a schmoe, albeit a podcasting schmoe, like me stumbled upon them and joined early. Is anyone or any group working to help all podcasters make a buck podcasting, doing the work voluntarily and willing to share everything they do and learn other than the folks at ADM? No.
So why the hate and discontent?
The ADM would gladly welcome the Winers and the LaPortes and all the podcaster vets and novitiates to have a say. Have a look and join here:
http://www.downloadablemedia.org/
Dave Burckhard
I would love to make a podcast tonight. Where do I go to get Leo LaPorte’s permission?