Grilling The Geeks from KXAM
Recently the hosts of the long-time radio show “PC Chat” heard on AM radio station KXAM in Phoenix changed focus and became the “Gutsy Geeks”.
We thought the story of their conversion from helpers of Windows users to promoters of Free and Open Source Software would be interesting. The three co-hosts, Michael Cady, Nick Coons, and Mr. MODEM, were kind enough to submit to the usual SCALE grilling. Here’s that interview:
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SCALE: Tell us a little bit about the hosts of the Gutsy Geeks show - including stuff you can’t find in the ‘about’ section of gutsygeeks.com!
Michael Cady & Amy
MICHAEL: We are all using Ubuntu and loving it, and unfortunately Ubuntu is not paying us to say that!
NICK: I dabbled in Unix beginning in 1996, and then was thrown into Linux in 1998 when I took over an ISP; it was sink or swim. Luckily, Linux and open-source has stuck with me ever since. Outside of technology, I’m a Libertarian and political activist.
Mr. MODEM
MR. MODEM: I tried Linux seven or eight years ago and hated it. I tried it again approximately four years ago with SUSE, then at Michael and Nick’s suggestion, tried Ubuntu and that’s when it clicked for me. I’m a writer, syndicated columnist, publisher and friend to small, furry animals.
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SCALE: When did your previous show, PC Chat start and how long did it run?
MICHAEL: Summer of 2001, a little more than seven years. It was a great show, but a little too broad to really stand out.
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SCALE: At its peak, about how big do you think the audience for PC Chat was? How does it compare to your audience now?
MICHAEL: Our audience remains about the same - just different listeners. We have several thousand local listeners on the radio and about 20,000 per show online.
MR. M: Since making the change to Gutsy Geeks, feedback from listeners has been outstanding and very encouraging, so we’re definitely beginning an upward growth curve.
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SCALE: What experiences did the former PC Chatters have that persuaded them personally to move to FOSS? That is how did each of you get started with Open Source software?
MICHAEL: We had always been focused on recommending what we felt was best for our own families to use, and had often mentioned FOSS on PC Chat (only because it was what we were using ourselves).
NICK: When you work with computers as much as we do, the frustrations of Windows adds up. It takes no more than a few minutes with FOSS to see the advantages.
MR M: As the publisher of a weekly computer-help newsletter that focuses on all versions of Windows, I receive several hundred questions each month. With subscribers in 38 countries, I continually hear from frustrated users worldwide who experience the same problems and share the same concerns about viruses, malware, and ever-escalating costs. The Linux OS and FOSS provide solutions to these concerns so I’m happy to share this information and recommend these alternatives to my readers.
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SCALE: What finally prompted the decision to switch the show over to FOSS? Was there any tipping point?
MICHAEL: All three of us are now using Ubuntu as our primary OS, and the breadth of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) available is going to benefit MOST users.
NICK: PC Chat’s content was far too broad, and it was no longer unique. There is no broadcast FOSS radio program on the air that we’re aware of, so we decided to fill the void.
MR. M: Humanitarians that we are, it was our gift to the broadcasting world to remove what was yet another “Windows” computer show from the airwaves. You can tune into virtually any computer radio show anywhere in the country and it’s basically the same format, the same information, the same Windows-based questions. Been there, done that.
We knew from our own experiences that Linux and Open Source were clearly the future, so being true to what we believed in, we rolled the dice and decided to make the change.
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SCALE: What was the reaction of your PC Chat sponsors when you told them you were converting to Linux and Open Source? Did they stick with you, or did you have to find some new sponsors?
MICHAEL: We lost about half of them (and expected it). We now rely primarily on donations from listeners.
MR. M: We knew we were going to lose a good portion of our PC Chat listeners, as Michael said, but that was a risk we were willing to take. We were all utilizing Linux and Open Source more in our personal and professional lives, but we were somewhat “trapped” by the PC Chat focus, so rather than take our frustrations out on our listeners—who clearly suffered enough already—we did the merciful thing.
Continuing the Open Source “community” model, we welcome donations and are excited that our listeners are beginning to contribute to the show to help keep it on the air.
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SCALE: We’d assume that it’s harder finding sponsors for a show about a less popular operating system than Windows, since the audience is presumably smaller. Or is that not the case?
MICHAEL: Sure, fewer companies benefit financially from FOSS. However being more focused and having a large international audience we expect to replace some of them with companies that benefit from and endorse using FOSS.
MR. M: It is our objective to be on the air for years to come and in part lead the broadcast charge to Linux and FOSS. We know this is a “revolution” that is only in its very early stages, so we look forward to some of those potential sponsors that Michael mentioned joining us at this early stage and growing with us.
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SCALE: How was the new Gutsy Geeks show received by your old listeners? Did many of them follow you, or do you have a completely new audience now?
MICHAEL: I would say about 50% of our old listeners stuck with us (we had been pushing FOSS more and more towards the end of PC Chat). We have discovered a much larger audience that is more committed to helping us.
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SCALE: About how big is the audience now? Any estimates? (For both the AM show and on-line).
MICHAEL: Again, locally (Phoenix, AZ) we have several thousand listeners on the radio, and around 20,000 per show online.
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SCALE: Is Gutsy Geeks being carried by any other radio stations besides KXAM at this time?
MICHAEL: A couple other Arizona stations (outside the Phoenix market) re-broadcast our shows. Plus, we have a dozen websites that host and stream our shows.
MR. M: Expanding the show into other broadcast markets and ultimately syndication is very much our goal.
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SCALE: How do you come up with material for new shows? What’s on the horizon? Any new topics, segments, ideas for guest speakers, etc., that we can look forward to?
MICHAEL: LISTENERS! We are only here for them—we always encourage listeners to give us feedback on the website to help improve the show (in fact, we blame them for it being as bad as it is). Our new segment featuring LUGS around the country is showing some potential.
MR. M: That’s right! We take absolutely no responsibility for anything. If the show stinks, it’s never our fault; it’s the fault of the listeners for not contributing better ideas. Obviously, humor is a big part of the show. We know what we’re doing isn’t neurosurgery, but we do have an important message to share with our listeners that may be life-altering to some. We welcome listener feedback and we stay on top of what’s happening in the world of Linux and FOSS, so we’re never really at a loss for show content as a result.