In November of 2008 I discovered BlogTalkRadio. There was a man on there saying he had snorted cocaine and performed fellatio on Obama. Naturally I had to go listen!
At the time I thought BlogTalkRadio would be a good platform for getting the word out regarding LGBTQIA news, events and discrimination. Little did I realize, discrimination against our community was and still is rampant on BlogTalkRadio. Primarily from the management of BlogTalkRadio, not the listeners.
I also didn’t realize the BlogTalkRadio has constant technical problems and issues.
Over a period of time I have learned that BlogTalkRadio operates under a double standard. One set of rules for the “good ole boys” and another for everyone else.
I remember the time a show titled “Gay Life Coach” was featured on BlogTalkRadio. I was shocked but when I listened to the featured show I was more shocked to find out they dropped the word Gay and referred to the show as “Life Coach”. The Gay part was never mentioned on the feature show.
The person who had that show eventually changed the name of their show. They sold out and in my mind, sold out our community. Since he is a member of our community, he should be very ashamed of himself!
I refuse to insult my LGBTQIA brothers and sisters by changing the name of the show in order to obtain fair treatment. I’ll shut down the show before I end up changing the name to appease others.
There was another issue on the BlogTalkRadio platform where a transwoman was literally embarrassed and insulted by a well known/long time host (Dr. Blogstien) on BlogTalkRadio. Dr. Blogstien’s friendship with the CEO of BlogTalkRadio was also brought up at that time. Needless to say, the transwoman was fighting a losing battle.
Also of interest in that story. The transwoman and her friends had a show on BlogTalkRadio for several months prior to the incident. However, she and her friends never felt a need to come say hello to the other LGBTQIA related shows. However, when she got into the hassle with Dr. Blogstien, all of a sudden, she wanted to be friends with us all. Of course, she also wanted us all to rally in her support! Most of us did rally in her support. But in the end, we didn’t care much for her tactics.
I then heard a story about a show who requested to be featured but was denied because they had the words GAY and SEX as keywords in their show. They were informed to remove those two words in order to be featured.
I left BlogTalkRadio in hopes of finding “greener pastures”.
I found NowLive and started shows over there. Their service was different and seemed to have lots of “unfinished features”. However they shortly went “pay only” without even so much as an email notice. Due to their rudeness I didn’t even consider becoming a pay member.
I then moved the show to TalkShoe. TalkShoe had constant chat room problems and more than it’s fair share of bashers. But suddenly I started to experience problems with no audio. Some of my listeners suspect the TalkShoe management/personnel were sabotaging the show.
In the meantime BlogTalkRadio started to offer premium memberships. I might add, the memberhip was cheaper than NowLive.
Some of my listeners had been asking me to return to BlogTalkRadio and I thought, in my ignorance, that since they were going pay they would offer paying members equal treatment.
So I returned to BlogTalkRadio and the first thing I did was email them asking a couple questions about their new pay service.
One of the features they offered with the pay service was “widget impressions” of your show on the BlogTalkRadio site.
According to the documentation on the BlogTalkRadio site when you signed up for the $40 a month membership you received 2500 “widget impressions” on their site. No restrictions or limitations are mentioned. But I knew better.
I asked them in my message, since my show is called GayTalkRadio (and I know your company has had issues with that word), would I receive the 2500 “widget impressions”.
As expected I received a response stating I would not receive the 2500 “widget impressions” because BlogTalkRadio wants to stay “kid safe” and “work safe”.
Of course I immediately went to Dr. Blogstein’s show which has widget impressions on BlogTalkRadio and the first thing I heard him talking about was David Carradine’s erotic asphyxiation!
Once again, the double standard rears its head on BlogTalkRadio.
The “good ole boy” Dr. Blogstein can talk about erotic asphyxiation and that’s considered “kid safe” and “work safe” but if I talk about DADT, Gay Pride, PROP 8 and a multitude of other LGBTQIA related issues that isn’t “kid safe”.
It’s obvious the folks that run BlogTalkRadio are bigots!
And that’s the bottom line!
Once again I am in search of a platform that treats all hosts fairly, without bias, has few technical issues and doesn’t cost me much.
For now, the show is in limbo.
All the best to you and yours.
-tom
www.GayTalkRadio.org
4 comments:
Firstly, I thank you for tuning into the Radio Happy Hour. In fact, I hope you were around for the last 20 minutes of the show where we interviewed my long time friend Frank Anthony Polito author of Band Fags and the newly released Drama Queers. (please take a look at those books on Amazon before you yell at me for using slurs)
Secondly, the scenario with the Tran-show was an overblown incident that they manipulated to try and get publicity for their program. I'm sorry you got roped into fighting their pretend battles.
And thirdly, I agree with you 100% that the word "Gay" in a show title should not preclude you from having your show featured, highlighted or widgetized. I'd like to invite you onto my show so you can get your complaints on the record.
Personally, I don't for a second think that BlogTalkRadio is bigoted. I've always known BTR to be reasonable, professional and fair and hope that having you on the Radio Happy Hour will help get your show all the benefits that you're entitled to, if in fact the only reason that those benefits are being kept from you is simply the word "Gay."
I replied to this on the www.GayTalkRadio.org blog but here it is again for this blog:
Dr. Blogstein;
I am simply looking at this situation from the outside. I realize you have been on BTR practically since day one. I’ve only been around since Nov. 2008.
For additional clarity let me post my recent email discussion with BTR:
Hi,
I have a couple questions in regards to the Premium Plan.
You mention 2500 impressions of the Promotional Widget on your site. Since BTR has previously had issues with shows which contain the word GAY in them and the title of my show is GayTalkRadio I must ask, would my show be provided the 2500 widget impressions?
My second question is regarding copyright ownership. As I remember the TOS mentions BTR retains copyright on all content. Is this also true for paying memberships?
Hi Tom,
Thanks so much for writing. The promotional widgets are a great tool to get your show out there. Depending on the content of the show, the widget takes into consideration your genre for promotional efforts. At this time because we aim to keep the site kid and work safe, we only promote shows that are classified as “Everyone” in the maturity rating.
Thanks so much!
Shannon Dingee-Kramer
Assistant Director of Customer Relations
Dr. Blogstein, when I heard your recent show I thought to myself how can BTR consider my show not “kid and work safe” yet your show is “kid and work safe”?
Also Dr. Blogstein, is your show rated “EVERYONE” in the maturity rating? Because if it isn’t then BTR just told me a bold face lie!
It definitely sounds like a double standard. I have had a few shows that were definitely mature in nature, but the majority of them are simply LGBTQIA News.
I have heard excuses my entire life for oppression. They are all rooted in bigotry.
I thank you for the invitation to be on your show but I really doubt it would change anything.
I also apologize if it sounded as if I was attacking you in my post. I am simply using your show as an example. After all, to me it looks like you are getting preferential treatment!
I didn't think you were attacking us, in fact, I'm pleased that you used us as an example. I'm an egomaniac when it comes to my show :)
I really don't know if I get preferential because I'm unaware of how anyone else gets treated. But I will say that if I do get preferential treatment that I deserve it for the number of listeners I bring in and the length of time that I've been bringing in those listeners. After all, BTR is still a business.
While I don't speak for BTR and am loathe to try to read their minds, if it were me running this business, the only problem I would have with the show title "Gay Talk Radio" is that to the outside world and potential sponsors it could sound like a sex show where as "Gay Issues Radio" or something like that sounds safer.
I rate my show "Mature" but again, its a very popular show and has celebrity guests so it does help draw more people to their site, which is their goal. So if an exception is made on a case by case basis, you can't really blame them. You can, however, blame them for poor communication.
But again, I don't think that they're bigots, they're business people. In otherwords, even if your show was called "Gay Talk Radio" and interviewed Neil Patrick Harris, Barney Frank, Elton John, etc., you'd be featured too.
Dr. Blogstein there is no need to reply on both sites. The www.GayTalkRadio.org site is fine.
For any following this discussion CLICK HERE to read it at the www.GayTalkRadio.org site.
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