But that is the kind of day we’re having today, folks. Another stupid studio cancellation. But AETV will return next weekend with Matt and Jen, followed by Russell and myself the following weekend.
Word may have gotten out that we have a new building. I haven’t actually toured it myself yet, but I’m hopeful some of it can be McGyvered into a studio of our own where we can do AETV and NPR shows all the live-long day with no interference from anyone. While we still like being on local access, the fact is we really don’t need them any more. Ultimately it’s not my choice to make, but I know we’re sick of a lot of the random crap that Channel Austin throws at us. It would be nice to be able to take total control of our media once and for all.
26 comments
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nightman2112
October 9, 2011 at 5:33 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Can’t wait to see the new building. Will you still host a studio audience at the new place?
Martin Wagner
October 9, 2011 at 5:42 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
We’d love to, though I understand parking over there isn’t the greatest. It’s basically a house the realtor repurposed into a commercial property.
LykeX
October 9, 2011 at 5:54 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Aaaaaaaaarrrrgggggghhh!
Another week? This is the final proof. There IS NO GOD!
jacobfromlost
October 9, 2011 at 5:58 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Sorry to hear the show was cancelled today.
When are Don and Jen and Tracie (I suddenly have the horrified feeling I’m forgetting someone…) going to post their introductions?
Jeff! Jeff was who I was forgetting, right? How could I forget him?
(Also, why is the “Answer God’s call to service” ad still popping up here? I’ve read it so many times I’m starting to believe in a higher power. Is the recruiting of “Ordained Ministers” becoming so difficult that they are reduced to expanding their ad campaign to atheist blogs? It’s like trying to market “Streak: it’s what’s for dinner!” on vegan blogs.)
warren grubb
October 10, 2011 at 4:33 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
In most cases, those ads are based on traffic and automated keyword searches, not someone choosing specifically where to place the ad. There is a lot of traffic to this blog, there are a lot of references to God in the content, bingo, you get God ads. Skeptical sites get ads for woo woo all the time for the same reason.
Achrachno
October 9, 2011 at 6:57 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Martin,
Well, at least you’re here (freethoughtblogs) now. Words are words, wherever we find them.
Your post on stoning was great, in a depressing sort of way. Really showed the reality and horror. It almost made up for the lack of a show for 2 weeks running. I hope you’ll raise that topic on the show one of these weeks (even if you already did but I missed it). How can theists defend that sort of thing while claiming to be moral? Theists listening in need to see what some of their fellows are like. There are some seriously twisted people in their ranks, and they need to know it. Perhaps some will look more questioningly on other believers — questioning who they really are and what awful things they may believe.
JT (Generic)
October 9, 2011 at 7:15 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Without tapping into the local natives, isn’t it going to be more difficult to get theist callers?
Martin Wagner
October 9, 2011 at 7:36 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
We tend to get fewer local callers in general, now that we’re global on the web. But it’s true, back in the day when our only outlet was Time Warner Channel 16, most of our callers were indignant theists shocked to have discovered an atheist TV show actually on the air. There were plenty of feisty exchanges, but more than a few cranks and trolls too. It’s a tradeoff. We have fewer Christians calling in today, but the ones who do tend to want to talk about things instead of just to rant or threaten us.
Walter
October 10, 2011 at 12:48 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
You can record in your studio and play over local access channel recorded – then when people call in get their call back number for the new-studio live time.
warren grubb
October 10, 2011 at 4:39 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I don’t miss the cranks, especially the obviously college kids who would just ask a question, let you all talk for a few minutes and then scream something obscene into the receiver.
Frankly, I don’t miss a lot of the theists, either, because it was often their first time seeing the show, so they would ask what an atheist was and why you wanted to do a show and you would have to repeat basically the same thing over and over again. At least now when a theist calls, they typically have a bit more a of grasp on atheism (or they think they do) and so they come at you with more content.
Alt+3
October 9, 2011 at 9:05 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Huh. I would have thought your show would be their flagship program considering people actually, you know, watch it.
Steve
October 9, 2011 at 9:14 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Looking forward to the show next week.
chase
October 9, 2011 at 9:15 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
BUT BUT BUT!!!!! *sulks off to watch nyan cat*
megazeusthor
October 9, 2011 at 10:09 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I hope that you are able to take more control in the future. “Own the means of production” and all that.
Live calls work best, but I’m sure you’ll always be able to get theistic minded questions (emails, submitted mp3′s, phone voice messages, etc.). It’s all about getting people to see things from a different perspective and addressing there mental hang-ups and objections.
The show is great not only because it goes out live, but also because great clips live on the internet for years.
Jeff
October 10, 2011 at 1:11 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Perhaps you should consider what the studio staff are doing to your honour and take action to redeem it.
Christopher
October 10, 2011 at 2:54 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I still get jollies by that “face punch for Jesus” clip, plus its a good exchange prior to that. Cant wait til the new venue, hope it makes all your dreams come true.
atheistthaigirl
October 10, 2011 at 11:48 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I am looking forward to the next episode. After you get the new building, I hope you can extend the length of the show, maybe even long enough to have another discussion with Ray Comfort in which he can finally be successfully taught proper logic.
Konradius
October 11, 2011 at 4:35 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Program length will still be limited by the cold death of the universe.
atheistthaigirl
October 12, 2011 at 5:55 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Tom Clark
October 10, 2011 at 1:25 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
“McGyvered?” Are you going to blow out a wall with a sodium bomb?
If so, be warned:
http://mythbustersresults.com/episode100
John K.
October 10, 2011 at 3:17 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
No non-prophets either?
I hereby complain as much as possible while keeping in mind that all the content is provided free by volunteers.
At least Austin got some rain this weekend, not that the topics are related.
Michael B.
October 10, 2011 at 4:39 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Sucks about the cancellation, but great news about the new studio. I’d miss unsuspecting local theists who randomly stumble upon your show on local access who would otherwise never see it on the internet, but them’s the breaks. Maybe you’ll all get insanely lucky and become nationally syndicated, one day. Just don’t let the sudden power and riches corrupt you.
UpAgainstTheRopes
October 11, 2011 at 1:29 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
::Tapping large vein in arm::
Need AETV…
Suffering withdrawal symptoms…
Must resist urge to believe dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark…
Morality only coming from god…
Tuning out allowing fine tuning in…
HELP!
Maximilian_Vogeland
October 11, 2011 at 4:07 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
So, God finally shut you down, eh?
UpAgainstTheRopes
October 13, 2011 at 5:53 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
yeeeeaaaahhhh… but it were muslim god
Muskiet
October 15, 2011 at 8:52 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I love the conversations you guys have with religious people where you get to address the (mostly wrong) idea’s and misconceptions of local Christians who probably wouldn’t even have known about the show if it wasn’t on public access television for the whole world to stumble upon.
I also like to think that the seed of doubt gets planted into some of those people who flip through channels and “keep hanging” on your show.
Wouldn’t all of that go away if you leave Channel Austin?
Wouldn’t your show then become just another podcast/videocast filled with people who all agree with each other and which only gets seen by people who actively choose to stream the show or download the videocast who most probably are atheists themselves already?
I’d miss Channel Austin.