The BN is a very unique media package. The live podcast with the simultaneous chat creates a unique opportunity for BN'ers to make friends with people around the world and hang out with those friends to have a beer. I've been listening live almost since the beginning and I enjoy and appreciate the friends I've made very much. The Forum supports and enhances those friendships making for a "Perfect Storm" of podcasting.
I'm very happy for the success of the BN, but I'm worried about the continuation of that success. My old tennis coach always told me, "When you're winning the game, don't change the way you're playing it." Recently I've see Justin more often changing the way he's playing it. First, one day off a month, then maybe two, JP standing in, changing the start times, changing the day - none of it bodes well. I could understand better if there were some underlying reason that was improving the experience for the listeners, but from here it looks like it's just for Justin's convenience.
Broadcast programming always schedules weekly shows for the same time on the same day. Consistency is very important and people rely on always knowing when their favorite show is going to air. Broadcasters understand the importance of that consistency, and so should Justin. 60 Minutes was always on Sunday nights for how many decades???
My enthusiasm for the BN has waned in the last year or so and it really pisses me off when I tune in on Sunday at 5PM and find that the start time was changed to 1PM or Monday at 4PM or 5PM or 6PM. I'm not in to constant monitoring of the BN homepage, or Facebook, or Twitter to find out, sometimes at the last minute, when my favorite podcast will air, or won't.
The change to Monday is a bad idea. During the last Monday session, the chat room was about 20% of normal. I only knew a couple of the chatters, and by the end of the show there were only a dozen people in the room. It was weak and disappointing, I pulled the plug early. The Sunday Session is becoming a shadow of its former self. My loyalty to the BN is mirroring the BN's loyalty to me. Pretty soon, I may not bother...








