Apparently Rocketboom.com is contemplating charging users to to view the show. Show producer Andrew Baron believes that going down this path with bring in much more money than the show currently makes. That’s probably very true. What I have a problem with is the whole ‘paying’ thing.

When you have 350,000 views a day and 200,000 downloads a day there is a lot of potential for rolling in the big bucks. Currently Rocketboom charges $60,000 for a weeks worth of advertising. $60,000! But they need more. They want to charge the users! Surely thats just not right.

Cannot they not be satisfied with the amount being made from advertisers. One of the beautiful things about the Internet is that the vast majority of it is free. Particularly a these new community and social aspects of the web; blogs, video blogs, and podcasts. They are all free.

Baron recently said, “Another way to monetize your content is a premium subscription. For the hardcore fans, we will give you extra content and our newsletter, and ask them to pay $3.50 a month. For 10,000 people that is $35,000 per month.”

Plenty of people will probably do it, $3.50 is not much for 30 shows.

I don’t often paying for content on the internet when I can get it for free somewhere else, which is often the case. Not so good for advertisers and busines, but thats just the way of the world.
I’m beginning to think it could be time to start videoblogging!

I won’t be paying, though admittedly I’m definitely not a hardcore fan. Will you?

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