Get ready to catch up on all things open source: this episode of Open Channels FM is all about the launch of Open Channels News, a new short-form daily video news show dedicated to keeping you informed about the latest in the open source world.
Robert Jacobi and Bob Dunn introduce the concept behind this dynamic five to ten minute live program, designed to deliver updates, not just on WordPress or WooCommerce, but on the entire open source landscape. Mark your calendars. The first episode goes live on July 27th at 12 noon Chicago time. Tune in to learn how this new addition fits into the Open Channels FM network and how you can subscribe to stay in the loop.
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Takeaways
Launch of Open Channels News: Bob and Robert announce a new channel, Open Channels News, which will focus on delivering concise, five to ten minute daily (or near daily) video news updates relevant to the open source ecosystem, not limited to WordPress or WooCommerce, but covering all open source topics 00:50 01:49.
Format and Content Approach: The show aims to provide news with minimal opinion, enabling listeners to form their own views and generate conversations. The format will include short news segments, potential micro interviews, and content relevant from the past 24 to 48 hours 02:50.
Live Stream Schedule: Open Channels News will be live streamed at noon Chicago time, making it accessible across various time zones, and rebroadcasts will be available later in the day for those who can’t watch live 03:00.
Platform and Accessibility: The show will be available on YouTube under the rebranded Open Channels News channel, and episodes will be added to the Open Channels FM audio feed the day after the live broadcast, making it easy to catch up whether live or on replay 05:09 06:12.
Launch Date and Testing Phase: The first episode is scheduled for Monday, July 27th at 12 noon Chicago time, with the initial weeks featuring two or three episodes per week as the format is refined and technical bugs are resolved 05:26 05:36.
Integration with Podcast Network: Open Channels News will be available as a standalone podcast and also integrated into the main Open Channels FM podcast network feed, so existing subscribers will automatically receive new episodes 06:43 06:56.
Growth and Expansion: The channel will be seeking guest hosts and additional contributors in the future, as mentioned by both Bob and Robert, with plans to expand participation and topic coverage 04:40 04:45.
Commitment to Open Web Community: The launch is supported by sponsors Automattic, InMotion Hosting, and Omnisend, underscoring the show’s commitment to serving and informing the open source and open web community 00:01 08:06.
Questions This Episode Answers
Q: What is Open Channels News?
A: Open Channels News is a new short-form, almost daily live video news program focused on open source topics across various projects and business areas, rather than just WordPress or WooCommerce. It aims to deliver concise 5–10 minute updates to help viewers stay informed and start conversations in the open source ecosystem (Robert Jacobi at 02:05).
Q: When and where can I watch or listen to Open Channels News?
A: The show will go live at noon Chicago time, with a rebroadcast later in the day for those unable to catch it live. Episodes will also be available on the Open Channels FM YouTube channel and as part of the Open Channels FM audio feed (Bob Dunn at 05:05, 06:19).
Q: How will Open Channels News keep its episodes short and relevant?
A: The goal is to focus on what’s happened in the last 24 to 48 hours, offering fast, digestible updates with occasional micro-interviews or segments that avoid bogging down the viewer or listener. It’s designed to provide important open source news efficiently and regularly (Robert Jacobi at 03:36).
Q: Can I subscribe to Open Channels News separately from other Open Channels FM content?
A: Yes, Open Channels News will be available as its own podcast and also as part of the broader Open Channels FM podcast network, so you can subscribe separately or get it alongside other content on the main feed (Bob Dunn at 06:43).
Q: What types of topics will Open Channels News cover?
A: The show will focus on open source projects and their related business topics, metrics, and trends—not limiting itself to a specific CMS. This broader scope aims to keep the community informed about the wider open source world (Robert Jacobi at 02:39).
Q: How can I watch Open Channels News on YouTube?
A: The Open Channels FM YouTube channel has been rebranded to Open Channels News, where you can subscribe and find the new show. A promo video and other updates will be available there soon (Bob Dunn at 05:09, 07:24).
Q: When does Open Channels News officially launch?
A: The live stream launches on Monday, July 27th at 12 noon Chicago time. The team will test with a few episodes per week initially to iron out any bugs before ramping up to the intended schedule (Bob Dunn at 05:17, Robert Jacobi at 05:28).
Q: Will other hosts or contributors be part of Open Channels News?
A: While Robert Jacobi is the primary host, there are plans for others to take over occasionally, and contributors may be brought in to offer their expertise and perspectives, keeping the show dynamic and diverse (Robert Jacobi at 04:40).
Mentioned Links and Resources
- Open Channels News (Open Source News Livestream & Podcast) – The new live short-form open source news program discussed by Bob Dunn and Robert Jacobi, available on YouTube and as part of the Open Channels FM network.
🔗 https://youtube.com/@openchannelsnews - Open Channels News Channel– The podcast channel as found on Open Channels FM
🔗 https://openchannels.fm/podcasts/open-channel-news/
Episode Transcript
Bob Dunn:
Hey, Bob here. And we are at Open Channels fm. Have an update here. And I’m not doing this update by myself. I have my co host Robert Jacoby here. Robert, how you doing?
Robert Jacobi:
Good day. Doing well.
Bob Dunn:
Good, good. We have a little bit of exciting news, right? You think it’s exciting?
Robert Jacobi:
I’m excited.
Bob Dunn:
Yeah, I’m excited. So.
Robert Jacobi:
And you know, that’s all that matters is that I’m excited.
Bob Dunn:
Well, that’s true. As long as you’re happy and excited, that’s all that matters all the time, really.
Robert Jacobi:
That’s right.
Bob Dunn:
So we are.
Robert Jacobi:
Yeah, go for it. Yeah, I’m just like, I think we got something interesting in the works here.
Bob Dunn:
Yeah. So we have been working on. Well actually this has been something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. Kind of our third channel changed and we were going to go to some kind of a live stream and along the way Robert came up with an idea that he’d been brewing in his head for some time in one way or another. I understand. And so we came to a conclusion that hey, we got to do this. And let me just tell you what it’s called the New channel. And then I’m going to hand over to Robert because he’s going to talk about it a bit. Only because he’s the host of the new channel. So this is. Pressure’s on.
Robert Jacobi:
Hey, immense pressure.
Bob Dunn:
Yeah. Okay. It is called Open Channels News and kind of in a way it explains itself, but maybe not so much. So what do you got to tell us, Robert?
Robert Jacobi:
So as you mentioned, this has been percolating in my head for a while and what I’ve been wanting to see out there is just a five to ten minute almost daily, if not daily video news program. Think of your sort of taking going way back and when we all had regular TVs with three channels, the evening news where that was 30 minutes of stuff. But I think we can do five to 10 minutes per day to make something interesting, compelling and valuable to folks who care about open source. And the biggest thing is this is not a WordPress news show. It’s not a WooCommerce news show. It’s an open source news show. Again, Open Channels. Open Channels News.
So we’ll be talking about all the projects out there, all the sort of business topics around that metrics. And when I say talk about, it’s not really a bunch of Opinions. It’s just trying to get people to know some things so that they can start creating their own opinions and having conversations. And really the goal is to do this live at noon Chicago time so that people, they want to see it live at 10am on the West Coast, 1pm in the east coast, you know, dinner time ish in Europe, and then do a rebroadcast of it later in the day for the folks that we just can’t catch live. But really trying to make a, you know, a compelling short program that’s happening all the time and with maybe little segments in between, maybe micro interviews, but nothing to really bog down the viewer because this will be audio and video. But of course people can read the transcripts and listen to podcasts or however they want to do stuff after the fact, but really just kind of make it used that’s relevant over the last 24 to 48 hours.
Bob Dunn:
Yeah, I think this is as I told you and when you came up with this idea or shared this idea with me, I thought, wow, this is perfectly or it perfectly fits Open Channels fm because that’s where I’ve been leading all along. And this is a nice short form live stream where as Robert said, and this is what I’ve been trying to do, introduce more stuff to get everybody aware of what’s going on in the bigger open source ecosystem versus certain CMSs or anything like that. But of course, like Robert said, we’ll be able to touch on all those and talk about all the different things. And I shouldn’t say we because it’ Robert. So he will be able to talk about all those different things.
Robert Jacobi:
Hopefully we’ll have folks that can take over every once in a while.
Bob Dunn:
Yeah. Oh, I’m sure there’ll be some people that will that. That is good in that. I have a couple of mine and we’ll poke at them. But yeah, anyway, so that is it. We will be actually Open Channels FM has a YouTube channel which really hasn’t grown much. So we’re gonna rebrand that. We’ve rebranded already to Open Channels News. So if you go to YouTube at open channels News, there will be an opportunity to subscribe early. We are going to be launching according to the moon and stars on the July 27th. Isn’t that right?
Robert Jacobi:
That’s right. Monday, July 27th, 12 noon, Chicago Standard Time.
Bob Dunn:
Alrighty. Perfect.
Robert Jacobi:
And we’re gonna kick the tires for the first couple of weeks so, you know, maybe two or three episodes a week to see, you know, what kind of bugs need to be rattled out in the process. We are doing our own testing internally beforehand. I mean, this is, this is no off the cuff podcast. So we’re trying to amp up the game.
Bob Dunn:
Yeah, very cool. And of course there will be a channel on Open Channels fm. You can always get the information there. What we’ll be doing is we’ll be doing the live stream on a specific day. The very next day it will go out through OpenChannels FM audio feed. So that’s going to be kind of the cadence. So it’ll be like one day behind. But hopefully you catch the live or the replay later in the night or day or morning, whatever it is in
Robert Jacobi:
your time zones are going to be fun for this.
Bob Dunn:
So that is pretty much it. And yes, if you, you know, you’ll be able to subscribe to it as its own podcast as well. But it will also be part of the bigger Open Channels FM podcast network in that feed. So if you’re already subscribed to all things, this will slip right in there with everything else. So good stuff and I’m excited. I, you know, like I said, this is a perfect plant right into the channels. We have four channels now and this makes that live stream channel that I’ve been thinking about for some time play out perfectly. So appreciate it, Robert.
Robert Jacobi:
Pleasure. Woo hoo.
Bob Dunn:
All right, so again, you know, you can find it on Open Channels FM, but more importantly, go to YouTube Open Channels News and I’ll have that cleaned up in the next day or two. But it will eventually have a nice little promo video from Robert there. But you know, do subscribe and I will be getting that all fresh and ready to go here and then next day or two or maybe by the time this actually airs, this podcast. All right, well, thank you, Robert. That’s it. We’re making it short and sweet. Just like his show is going to be. Short and sweet.
Robert Jacobi:
That’s right. Thank you, Bob.
Bob Dunn:
Thank you, Robert.
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