Metafilter advertises on NPR now? Cool! August 15, 2010 4:45 PM Subscribe
I was driving home tonight and listening to NPR, when a new show started and I heard "....sponsored by Ask Metafilter dot com," with a little blurb about the site. Have I been living under a rock, or did this just happen recently? Is the Mefi empire advertising anywhere else, or targeting any other particular subsites?
I'd also just like to say that I'm pretty happy that if money generated here is going anywhere, it's NPR. Way to stay classy.
I'd also just like to say that I'm pretty happy that if money generated here is going anywhere, it's NPR. Way to stay classy.
Considering that "askmetafilter.com" is currently held by a domain-parking service, I think it's safe to assume that you misheard.
I could be wrong
posted by Electrius at 4:48 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
I could be wrong
posted by Electrius at 4:48 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
I am wrong
posted by Electrius at 4:49 PM on August 15, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by Electrius at 4:49 PM on August 15, 2010 [6 favorites]
Well you're wrong, but I obviously left out a few words in the full address, so you were reacting to bad info on my part. But yes, it was the Sound of Young America, which I really only listened to because Jim Lehrer was on. So, there was only one ad? Or does mefi regularly sponsor that show?
posted by nevercalm at 4:52 PM on August 15, 2010
posted by nevercalm at 4:52 PM on August 15, 2010
MeFi has been underwriting the show for several years. Here's the last thread about this from around this time last year: Maximum Fun Questions.
posted by pb (staff) at 5:02 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by pb (staff) at 5:02 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Jessie Thorn then uses the deep pockets he gets from Mathowie to buy expensive clothes.
posted by The Devil Tesla at 5:18 PM on August 15, 2010
posted by The Devil Tesla at 5:18 PM on August 15, 2010
Jesse has been a great influence on mathowie, and vice versa.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:54 PM on August 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:54 PM on August 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
stoneweaver: "I'm glad you were living under a rock, because I was, too. Now I've learned something cool"
That's okay, you at least were using your time productively down there. the OP was just being fidgety!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:55 PM on August 15, 2010
That's okay, you at least were using your time productively down there. the OP was just being fidgety!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:55 PM on August 15, 2010
This was asked in the linked thread, but jokely-non-answered by cortex, and I've wondered it myself: Why Ask, specifically? As I recall, back in the day the ad was for MeFi, not Ask, and then it changed. Is it because Ask is the easiest subsite to explain?
posted by middleclasstool at 8:57 PM on August 15, 2010
posted by middleclasstool at 8:57 PM on August 15, 2010
Why Ask, specifically? As I recall, back in the day the ad was for MeFi, not Ask, and then it changed. Is it because Ask is the easiest subsite to explain?
Yeah, exactly. We started the first year or so promoting MetaFilter, but I can't remember the tagline Jesse came up with, but it was pretty confusing because it was something like "MetaFilter: the community weblog" or something. I talked to him about maybe promoting Fuelly or Ask MetaFilter instead because they were easier concepts to "get" by outside listeners. He came up with the slogan "thousands of life's little questions, answered." and it sounded great so we've stuck with that.
And as stated in the last thread and ones before it, it's me sponsoring a program I love and I don't really get anything out of it, and the ad bumpers playing on the radio were a complete surprise (when I started underwriting the show, there was no radio airplay of the podcast) and they don't really bring too many new members in, but for me it's nice to know my favorite podcast keeps going thanks to the underwriting.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:31 PM on August 15, 2010 [4 favorites]
Yeah, exactly. We started the first year or so promoting MetaFilter, but I can't remember the tagline Jesse came up with, but it was pretty confusing because it was something like "MetaFilter: the community weblog" or something. I talked to him about maybe promoting Fuelly or Ask MetaFilter instead because they were easier concepts to "get" by outside listeners. He came up with the slogan "thousands of life's little questions, answered." and it sounded great so we've stuck with that.
And as stated in the last thread and ones before it, it's me sponsoring a program I love and I don't really get anything out of it, and the ad bumpers playing on the radio were a complete surprise (when I started underwriting the show, there was no radio airplay of the podcast) and they don't really bring too many new members in, but for me it's nice to know my favorite podcast keeps going thanks to the underwriting.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:31 PM on August 15, 2010 [4 favorites]
I'm pretty impressed that ask.metafilter.com is big enough to sponsor an NPR program. Good on ya Matt.
posted by eyeballkid at 10:04 PM on August 15, 2010
posted by eyeballkid at 10:04 PM on August 15, 2010
Just out of curiosity, how much does it cost to underwrite a podcast like that?
posted by crunchland at 10:53 PM on August 15, 2010
posted by crunchland at 10:53 PM on August 15, 2010
More than the MeFi Podcast, but less than Fresh Air.
Terry Gross insists on chinchilla bogroll, you heard it here first.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:10 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Terry Gross insists on chinchilla bogroll, you heard it here first.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:10 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
This information tickles me mightily. Kudos to you, Mathowie, for spreading happiness and decency-- I hope it is infectious.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:09 AM on August 16, 2010
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:09 AM on August 16, 2010
I'm pretty impressed that ask.metafilter.com is big enough to sponsor an NPR program. Good on ya Matt.
PEDANT TIME: PRI.
posted by edbles at 11:16 AM on August 16, 2010
PEDANT TIME: PRI.
posted by edbles at 11:16 AM on August 16, 2010
Back when I owned a small business, we did a general sponsorship of the local NPR affiliate, KUT, and we'd pop up during the morning music shows mostly, but now and again during Fresh Air or All Things Considered. It was a way cool feeling to think we'd done a little something there, and we got more positive feedback about those mentions than we got from years of regular radio advertising on the commercial "Adult Alternative" station. People noticed.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:43 PM on August 16, 2010
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:43 PM on August 16, 2010
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posted by JohnMarston at 4:48 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]