That set looks great.
I wouldn't be surprised if they went with a model where they have premium content behind a paywall. For example you could stream the audio broadcast live for all and release it as a free podcast, but keep the video feed behind a password that we could pay a monthly fee to have access to - perhaps along with additional content.
I've been thinking about this a fair bit - it's easy to go off on flights of fancy and try and speculate about what is and never could be. I do realize that all of these things take a lot of work to do well so I'm glad to be simply armchair quarterbacking it and will be pleased with whatever comes about.
Never Not Funny has gone with this freemium model and I assume they are doing well enough, and to my mind they don't have the reach of Tom's mighty hand. Freemium is something I spent a bunch of time looking at as I work(ed) as a game designer for mobile (read: mostly cruddy) games. It's the best way of generating income if you have premium content and a pre-existing audience.
These models work within existent podcast networks (VPN, feral, earwoof etc), or as an independent stand-alone (Shout Network!).
What's exiting about a Shout Network scenario is the possibility of bringing in some other shows done by preeminent FOTs. How Was Your Week or The Fogelnest files*, for example. Maybe a return to Low Times with more of a performance angle. Terre's show, of course, would fit that perfectly. But now you need more than just a room with mics and a couple cams, you need proper stage space etc... This kind of Newbridge Peach Pit After Dark scenario would also be a logistical monster to deal with... on top of whatever web or app based system you'd have to create to manage people's accounts. No wonder this has taken such time to work on! And where would this Shout Network actually be based? LA? NY? Bayonne?
Again, I'd be happy to hear Tom read the phone book on a low bandwidth mp3 file so it's all upside here. Heck, if the new Best Show is a much less involved operation then that leaves more time for Tom to direct stuff, I'd love to see him do a feature length film let alone a million more awesome rock videos.
*Fogelnest Files might have to be retooled if he brought it back and to the Shout Network, as I'm not sure what the earwolf contracts are like.
