The Town of Odyssey

I am the station manager of a Christian radio station in Illinois that airs Adventures in Odyssey. We broadcast Odyssey 7 days a week to almost a million people throughout Central Illinois. My take on the exclusive episodes is a unique one... Limit a season on the radio to 12 episodes a year? This is a bad idea. Odyssey started on radio 25 years ago and remains Odyssey's primary distribution method. Millions of people would be forced to hear 12 episodes a year on the air or pay the additional $15 per month to get an exclusive 12 episodes only available through the Odyssey Adventure Club. This is not fair to Odyssey's loyal radio audience. Many Christian homes can't afford another monthly expense with the way our economy is. We have seen a gradual decline in listener giving over the past several years. Families don't have the expendable income they use to have. They are more selective when purchasing things. If the Odyssey team is going to continue producing 24 episodes per year, the episodes should be available on the radio... All fans should have access to every regular show. Radio stations have to respond to complaints from listeners when they are disappointed about a program.

I can hear the conversation now...

"Why has Odyssey stopped making as many shows for us to listen to?"
"Odyssey is still making 24 shows a year but you have to join the Odyssey Adventure Club to hear 12 of them."
"Are they free episodes?"
"No, there is a monthly fee."
"I can't afford the cost. Why can't they be aired on the radio?"
"I don't know. this is just the way Focus wants to do things."

I don't want to criticize Focus. I love Adventures in Odyssey, but I can begin to hear the phone calls if radio episodes are blimited to 12 instead of the usual 24. Please return to the regular distribution of episodes, especially for radio. Remain to your original fan base who has supported you all these 25 years. Thanks on behalf of the several thousand radio stations that air Adventures In Odyssey.

The Old Judge wrote:Has there been any official decision from Focus yet? Here's my grievance:

On account of the OAC, if for no other reason, the Adventures in Odyssey team will be releasing half of their episodes on a bias. If you don't have the cash, you can't hear them. The prices are extravagant. $15 a month, when one album is the same price if you buy them in bulk. This will estrange the fan base, and will account for a good portion of Odyssey's eventual demise, if you put it into practice. And of course you remember that this is supposed to be a ministry, not a cash crop. In the episode Not One of Us, you (the team at Focus) dealt with bigotry and how it was wrong. In a subliminal way, you are (unintentionally), discriminating with the Adventure Club. The thousands upon thousands that listen to Odyssey now will lack half ofd the listening material and plot lines, eventually pulling them away from the show altogether. Please don't make that mistake.

The Scribbler wrote:So. Jonathan. We meet again.

Bren wrote:With the release of Bob Smithouser, I only fear that things will get worse financially.

The Old Judge wrote:Yes, Leonard, I would. If you don't mind.

Bren wrote:Bob did the podcast.

The Old Judge wrote:@Bren: What do you mean "released" him?

whittaker96 wrote:But here's my response, which I already posted:
http://odysseyoutofcontrol.blogspot.com ... -open.html

Jonathan wrote:

whittaker96 wrote:But here's my response, which I already posted:
http://odysseyoutofcontrol.blogspot.com ... -open.html

If you don't buy online and actually go to a bookstore, an album costs something like $25. If they tier it, and the basic package with the exclusive episodes cost more than $25 a year--because these exclusive episodes total one album--then this is still a horrible idea.

edit--And I'm not trying to be rude here, but to present this as a real question as a response to your article. I've been listening for just over 13 years. In that time, I've spent well over $1500 on hard copies alone (I had to buy some twice thanks to having to replace cassettes and all that). I'll be honest, this whole paying $180 for what amounts to one album, and being unable to get them any other way, feels like a really big insult.

I have no problem finding the cons here. For someone like me, what are the pros?