Podcasts, Are they Worth It?
I was on a podcast the other night and the host asked, “Isn’t it your obligation as a UFO/Paranormal investigator to release info you’ve learned to the public?” And then in an other recent podcast I was joking with the host and said, “I never charge for doing podcasts”, then the host said, “I wouldn’t have you on if you did.”
These two basic remarks got me thinking about the effort I put into doing Podcasts for free. In 2019 before the release and during the release of Alien Highway, I did a lot of Podcasts, I was obviously promoting my show; But with all the podcasts I did, Alien Highway didn’t get a second season. One would think the Podcast listeners would have watched the show thus increasing its ratings. But that wasn’t the case.
While my show was airing and even now during reruns, I’ve learned the majority of people who listen to Podcasts, don’t necessarily have cable or satellite TV. This is a conundrum for someone who was trying to promote a TV show on those types of medias. Since my show didn’t get a second season and now it’s on Amazon, those who don’t have cable or satellite are viewing it, and enjoying it. Well that’s what the emails say.
So what about Podcasts? Well I’ve learned it’s useless to promote something on one media when what I was promoting, is on another type of media. Internet compared to broadcast TV. I got better results promoting Alien Highway on AM/FM radio shows than Podcasts. It would appear those who listen to radio talk shows also have cable or satellite TV?
The answer could be, I guess “yes”. When filming Alien Highway I noticed the production crew who were much younger were listening to Podcasts on their cell phones, where I was listening to the radio. That should have been my “Ah Ha!” moment. Since then I’ve learned my show had attracted groups age 35 to 55, and the reason Travel Channel didn’t approve a second season, was because their target audience is age 20 to 30. More of generation Z and the tail end of the Millennial age group. That I understood quite quickly when I saw Travel Channel only advertised my show on their website, Twitter and Facebook page, rarely on their channel itself.
So back to Podcasts, why do them? Some Podcasts run commercials and the host gets paid, some hosts only make enough money to pay for the expense of the Podcast, yet some hosts do their Podcast while paying all expenses themselves, so they can learn along with their audience.
The ones I like best are the ones in which the host or hosts of the show and I continue to talk after the Podcast is done. Sometimes for another couple of hours. This is where I learn new information and share info which was not featured on the Podcast.
I’ve spent more than half my life researching and investigating the Paranormal. Every piece of equipment I have, I paid for. I’ve never charged anyone who I’ve investigated, and I’ve lost thousands of dollars with expenses and time away from work. So why do it? The bottom line is, and this goes back to the host from a recent Podcast who asked if I was obligated to release info to the public…
I do this for me, I only choose to share my investigations to the public through my website and Podcasts, but I’m not obligated to.
Case in point: The only reason I agreed to do Alien Highway was; Each episode I ran as a real investigation. I went to real locations, talked to real people, and caught real evidence. I’ve been on other TV shows doing bit segments, and I can tell you, some of their investigators are actors, just like Josh Gates was when he started. He was never an investigator, now, after all his shows I would say he is, but I’ve seen him and his team in action, and it’s still about the show, not the investigation or the people involved.
Alien Highway was about the investigation and the people, not about manipulating evidence that other shows do just for ratings.
True story:
The very first episode we shot for Alien Highway, one of the production crew purposely ran in the background during a shoot to make it seem there was someone watching us. My son Dan who was active in law enforcement at the time, and myself with a history of law enforcement, were both armed and started to chase that individual down. Once that individual realized we were after him, we learned very quickly he was part of the crew trying to enhance the scene, especially when he started yelling, “Don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me!”. he he
Well I threatened to leave the show if they pulled that shit again. They didn’t, but they learned a little bit more about me; That I’m not doing this show for money or fame, I’m doing this for the investigations.
I watch a few Paranormal type shows and can tell right off when they’re manipulating evidence. I’ll be writing a couple of blogs in the future which will debunk some of the fake equipment they use, but for now, let’s go back to Podcasts.
Another recent Podcast I was on the host stated, “If you asked for money, I wouldn’t have you on my Podcast”. I knew he was joking yet he wasn’t because he couldn’t afford me if I did charge. I make more money on my day job than I’ve ever made on any TV show I’ve ever been on, including my own. I’ve been out of pocket so many times being away from work doing other TV shows and my investigations, that I had to hire an accountant to try recoup wages lost.
UFOnut is not only an LLC under my Scorp, Zukowski Consulting, but now Trademarked. I can’t afford to lose money anymore, and will no longer do any Podcast that interferes with my personal company.
The reason why I’m one of the best Investigators in the USA (so I’ve been told), is because I try new things and get results. That’s because I do the investigations for me, and not the public. I need to prove to myself what I’m investigating is truly paranormal and not getting hoaxed by some idiot. After that, I like to share some info to the public not out of obligation or greed, but out of respect for others who have gone through similar circumstances. There’s info I won’t share because it’s personal or way too scary, because some things I’ve learned could seriously effect some individuals.
Most people don’t realize there’s a lot of scary shit going on out there, I’ve experienced it, and nearly died from it, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, that’s why I generally work alone or with family members. As for Podcasts, I’ve cut back because I’m tired of some people making money off me, so I’m only picking those Podcasts who I think the hosts are true to themselves and their listeners.
So, to the Podcast hosts who think I’m obligated to share my info to the public, (Bite Me!) and to those Podcast shows who make money off their guests but give nothing in return, don’t bother contacting me, but to those Podcast hosts who are looking for answers, and true to the topic and their listeners or viewers, then I’ll be happy to help, but not during working hours;
My accountant will yell at me….. again
Category: Chuck Zukowski, The Z-Files
