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Announcing The Paracast+ (or Something Like That!)

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It's a Web-based and Linux server-based project, requiring knowledge of MySQL and PHP, and the ins and outs of forum software. We would also need to spruce up our main site, which is powered by WordPress. If your husband is up to that, have him contact me, via a private conversation in the forums, and I'll follow up.
 
Gene Steinberg said:
It's a Web-based and Linux server-based project, requiring knowledge of MySQL and PHP, and the ins and outs of forum software. We would also need to spruce up our main site, which is powered by WordPress. If your husband is up to that, have him contact me, via a private conversation in the forums, and I'll follow up.
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Thanks for the info. I will talk to him and have him contact you if it's something he thinks he can handle. Maybe I'll butter him up with a steak dinner or something! :p
 
Even though I would pay $40 a year now because I have it to spend, I discovered the show when I was unemployed and POOR! I spent a lot of hours catching up on stories and filling my unemployed afternoons catching up with guest I wasnt familiar with. I think you would be doing yourself a disservice limiting your back log of shows to club members only.
 
Perhaps the Paracast Plus might be able to earn revenue by offering some research assistance. For example if it offered writers to assist Plus Level members with specific questions or projects. I think many past guests and even some members ( including myself ) might take advantage of such a service in order to get regular decent quality content for our websites and blogs. How much would we be willing to pay? That depends on the terms and quality of service. Hypothetically you could setup a system where membership is free and writers bid on opportunities. You would make your profit by taking a piece of the action.
 
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I would definitely pay if you had video feeds of you and Chris chit chatting with the guests (the guests can continue to be on audio).
 
Gene Steinberg said:
Our network contract doesn't let us offer the show free of ads, premium or otherwise.
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If I wasn't forced to listen to the ads I would missed Gene's awesome commercial where he says the word "neighbors" more than the late Fred Rogers.

Seriously though, I like the idea of premium membership. I use sticher to listen and have spent a good amount of time checking out other podcasts in the genre and the paracast is miles ahead of all of them in content and production quality. I shouldn't say this, but if I had to I would pay just to listen to it. As to what freemium features I would like to see, I like the "bonus content" approach. Something along the lines of a private chat room with a weekly session with Gene and Chris (and possibly guests?)

Honestly it seems like the ideas you guys have already are along the right lines. Other podcasts try to get money by only offering small show clips or heavily restricting content in an effort to bully people into subbing. I am all for your freeimum approach.
 
If you are genuine Gene about increasing more people to get interested in this field and take it more seriously the last thing you should do is try and monetize it. You are looking at this totally from the wrong angle. It should be about the dissemination of knowledge. Restricting back episodes and the like is a no no. Treat this as a labour of love and not something that's going to get you the new heated swimming pool.
 
I've read a lot of vituperative and vociferous criticism of Coast to Coast on this forum. Wow. In its defense six and a half bucks a month for nightly shows, each of them often having multiple guests, is a bargain. It's even cheaper with subscription to longer periods. I like the Coast Insider option. To say inferior interviewing goes on there rings hollow and makes me think of a fable by Aesop.
 
You exaggerate. The major criticisms about that show are lazy interviewing and allowing guests to say absurd, unproven things usually without response. You are entitled to your opinion, but not your facts.

Now do you have something constructive to say, or are you just trolling for trouble? If you are, your presence here will be very, very short.
 
We don't seem to be living on the same plane of reality then, michaelangel1453..You live in your world, I'll live in mine.
 
Wow, ok, really and truly, I'll try to be more constructive. Just giving my opinion, Gene, wasn't really expecting this from you. I do think very strongly that Coast Insider offers a superlative program for a bargain price. Listen when you want, no ads, multiple and quality guests, and yes, George is a very skilled and likeable interviewer and host, and bringing on Schrader was a great idea. Knapp is of course superb. Just saying my opinion, and take your very clear warning to heart.
 
Likable, yes, skilled? That's debatable for reasons I won't get into here.

Maybe you should read the messages posted on the last five pages, and make some suggestions that are actually relevant for a change, OK? We have been talking about an ad-free version for a while, but it's up to the network to give us the go-ahead.
 
Gotta' chime in here with my opinion that Coast is a lousy value even free of charge. It wastes time I could be using, say, lint rolling cat hair from the sofa. :confused:

Apologies to Gene and others for the latter part of this post I just deleted after due reflection. It was a sincere attempt at brainstorming ways to generate revenue for the Paracast that mentioned a couple of fairly well known names on the internet. No malicious language or slander was involved. But I am just very cautious these days.

Hopefully Gene has seen it or can pull it up, for what little it may be worth. It was meant to be "brainstorming"--probably more like a light drizzle in my case.
;)
 
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I like the idea of an "after show" where Gene & Chris continue the discussion & express their thoughts on the interview.

Also this field of interest really lacks quality, videotaped field investigations. I'd love to see Chris do a special report on a particular hot spot of his choosing.. Everything today is in the reality show format and I'm thinking more "Survivorman" & less "UFO Hunters".
 
I subscribe to C2C to eliminate commercials. I also started subscribing again after a couple of years absence to Unknown Country for added content so I will indeed put my money where my mouth is.
I will more then consider a Paracast premium subscription, the commercials need to go for me to do that, otherwise it’s a deal breaker.


Gene Steinberg said:
Some of you have suggested that we offer a special premium service, with extra features and services, for your listening and reading enjoyment.

Chris and I, along with other helpers, are busy working out ideas, and I welcome your input.

Here's what we've arrived at so far:

1. Monthly subscriptions at $6.99 per billing period, or $39.99 per year.

2. Special forums not available to regular users.

3. Chat rooms and special chats with the hosts and guests.

4. Special blogs and other content available only to subscribers.

5. Discounts on premium merchandise. This is a problem right now, because we earn so little from each item.

6. Expanded availability of back episodes. This would mean that we'd move shows over a year old into the premium area.

These are just proposals. I welcome your input to help us find the best collection of services, without depriving Paracast fans of all the free stuff we've offered up till now. What this means is that the latest episodes will always be free; that will never change.

It's your turn, my friends.
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We're getting close to making The Paracast Plus a reality.

I have set up a subscription rate of $5.00 per month, and $50.00 per year, which I think is reasonable for what we want to offer, which will include — if GCN gives us the go-ahead, and I think they will — an ad-free version of the show, along with special videos, a chat room and other exclusive content.

Paracast Plus is already available as an Account Upgrade in your account if you want to check out the subscription process. It's pretty simple, actually. When you subscribe, you'll see a Paracast Plus tab in the forum's navigation bar. The rest of the content will be pretty obvious.

Check here to see what it looks like:

https://www.theparacast.com/forum/account/upgrades

Yes, you can subscribe now if you wish, but I cannot guarantee you will actually be able to receive new content for a month or two, though I might see if we can get up a video or two to show you how it works. You can cancel a membership at any time when your renewal is due.

Suggestions are welcomed.

If you're a web developer and have information on customizing the XenForo Resource Manager, do let us know.
 
The Paracast is a podcast I genuinely enjoy so I'd happily pay $50 a year if it enabled me to listen to content substantially better than the free stuff.

Maybe an additional weekly episode where Gene and Chris chewed the fat over that week's guest, the latest paranormal news, books coming out and updates on some of Chris' investigations.
 
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