Welcome to Open Channels Dispatch, our new series where founder BobWP shares behind-the-scenes updates and other news from and about Open Channels FM.
To kick it off, he explains why the change was needed, how the show has evolved from its WooCommerce roots, then WordPress and now to cover broader topics like, open source, content creation, and accessibility, and what this means for listeners moving forward.
Bob also teases the upcoming newsletter launch and highlights how the new structure makes it easier than ever for listeners to find and subscribe to the topics they care about most. Whether you’re a long-time follower or a first-time visitor, tune in to hear how Open Channels FM is growing to better serve the open web community.
Takeaways
- New Format: Open Channel Dispatch
BobWP introduces the “Open Channel Dispatch,” a series dedicated to shorter updates and behind-the-scenes announcements for listeners. These quick check-ins will keep the audience informed without being full episodes. - Reason for Creating Dispatch
There was a need for a separate space to share quick updates, news, and important announcements that aren’t suited to full podcast episodes. - Recent Rebrand
The podcast and platform have recently rebranded as “Open Channels” to reflect a shift beyond WooCommerce to include broader coverage like WordPress, open source, the open web, content creation, and accessibility. - Versioning and Ongoing Updates
BobWP notes that, similar to software, they use version numbers for releases (e.g., 6.1) to keep things organized and track changes. - Upcoming Newsletter
A new newsletter is coming soon. Its launch was delayed until after the rebrand, but it’s now a top priority. - Enhanced Listener Experience
The rebrand is meant to improve user experience, making it easier for both new and long-time listeners to find content that interests them. - Rationale for Rebrand
The move away from a WooCommerce-only brand was necessary to reflect broader conversations. The new structure allows more flexibility, scalability, and makes it easier for listeners to browse by interest. - Positive Feedback at WordCamp Europe
When introduced at WordCamp Europe, the rebrand received positive feedback—especially for its intuitive design and clarity in purpose, making it easier to explain and recommend. - Subscription Options
Listeners can now subscribe to all OpenChannels FM content or select specific shows or topics that align with their interests. - Looking Ahead
BobWP hints at more updates and content coming soon, encouraging listeners to subscribe and stay tuned.
Important Links and Resources
- GoDaddy (Podcast Sponsor)
- Mentioned as a provider of managed WordPress hosting services, especially suitable for freelancers and agencies.
- Link: https://godaddy.com
- Open Channels FM Subscribe Page
- This is where you can subscribe to all of Open Channels FM’s shows or follow individual shows based on your interests.
- Link: https://openchannels.fm/subscribe
Episode Transcript
BobWP:
Hey, it’s Bob WP here and welcome to Open Channels Dispatch. In the past we’ve had episodes that we share about what is happening on our own site and what we’re doing out there in the open web. And this is formally named Now Open Channels Dispatch, where I’ll jump in from time to time with quick updates and a little bit behind the scenes and announcements from Open Channels FM here. so why did I create this Open Channel Dispatch?
I’ve already chatted a little bit about that, but we really needed the place to drop these shorter updates and they’re not going to be a show themselves and you’ll be able to find them on our upcoming news page. And also you’re not going to be hearing from me all the time when there’s something we’re sharing, maybe something new on the site that might be important to share with you, the listener, maybe a direction we’re heading or like today I’m looking at the rebrand update. Now, as you know or you may not know, depending if you’ve been paying attention, we did launch the rebrand on June 6th and to tell you the truth, just like all of my product builders out there and various friends of mine were already in works with 6.1. Yes, we do have our version numbers. Helps me keep track of things, help people to look back into history.
But I digress there and as you can expect, there’s always a bit of post rebrand tuning up to do. Really. It’s stuff you often find when you flip the switch and you start going through things. Hey, yeah, this would work better. One of the big things is something I’ve been working on for a while I’m promising you is a newsletter and I almost was ready to launch it about two months ago and then I thought well I’m rebranding so maybe I should hold off again so I have no more excuses. It’s got to happen. So that will be launching and I’LL be sharing more of that here real soon with you. And we’re smoothing out some other parts of the site. Want to make the whole experience better for, you know, longtime listeners like you or first time visitors like you.
So just to reflect a little bit on things, in the various episodes I had talking about the rebrand, I just wanted to catch you up on the few reasons that we did the rebrand first. We, well, have outgrown our original name. What started as a WooCommerce specific podcast has evolved into something much broader. This has been happening for a While, conversations around WordPress, but also open source, the open web, content creation, accessibility, all that good stuff. And as I looked at it and spent many, many days, weeks, it felt like looking for that better name. Open Channels just represents what we are now and where we’re heading. The second part is we just wanted to make it easier for you to listen to just what you’re into. You can still subscribe to the full Open Channels FM feed and you’ll get everything, including these little updates, but that’ll be just a small part of it. But now you can also follow just the shows that match your interest. Let’s say you’re into content, you’re into specifically WordPress and or you want to hear about the larger open web conversations. You can pick and choose. And that is what was really important to us. And third, for us, the new structure gives us more flexibility and sustainability moving forward. It’s cleaner, more scalable, and also gives our hosts and you, our listeners, more breathing room to explore the topics they care about.
So we had launched this rebrand at WordCamp Europe in Basel, Switzerland, and it gave us a chance to get some feedback. Folks who already were listening, they said they absolutely love the restructure because it helped them find the content they actually want more easily. And they also were very excited about us branching into new areas of the open web. But it even gets better. When people who hadn’t heard of us before asked, so what is Open Channels fm? We could actually explain it in less than two minutes. This was a big win. It clicked with people right away. They got it and I remember a few were actually pulling out their phone and hopefully they subscribed.
So just wanted to do a follow up on the rebrand since I’ve been kind of still buried in it. And if you’ve ever been through one yourself, you know, it’s a bit like, well, I don’t know, I’m trying to think of something. It’s like remodeling a house while you’re still living in it, but at the same time, it’s very exciting. We’re proud of where it’s going and grateful to everyone who’s been along for the ride. Now, if you’re not already subscribed to OpenChannels FM, you can do it now. You can get all the Dispatch updates on like this one. Plus, even more importantly, you can get all the content from our five shows. You can also follow individual shows if you’re more into specific topics. You can do that by going to Open Channels fm, forward slash subscribe, or find it on your favorite POD app. So thanks for tuning in to this first Open Channels Dispatch and myself. I’ll be back when there’s something worth sharing, and I think there will be here soon. So until the next time.
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