This Week in Tech to Generate $6 million in 2012
During an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit, Leo Laporte fielded questions from fans about everything pertaining to Twit including a question about TWiT's revenue model posed by redditer galloog1
Laporte responded "TWiT has been profitable since day one. First with donations from listeners, more recently with advertising. We grossed $3.75 million last year, should break $4 million this year. Currently I'm putting most of that back into the network. (EDIT: I checked with Lisa today and it's more like $4.25 million last year. She's aiming at $6 mill this year. We grossed $447K this month, up 47% over last July, so maybe she'll do it!)"
Laporte makes an additional $350,000 per year on his Premiere Radio Network's show "The Tech Guy". Laporte beleives his income will increase since his latest contract allows him to sell advertising on the podcast verison of his program.
"...around $350k on The Tech Guy. In the last contract negotiations we worked out a deal that allows us to sell adverts on the Tech Guy Podcast. That will at least double, if not triple that number."
The future of TWiT, and other niche Internet broadcasts, appears bright as they look at the coming SmartTV explosion to strengthen position over traditional media outlets.
"Thanks to the Internet and inexpensive digital technologies, this kind of niche broadcasting is viable and I do believe it's going to transform media. It already has - more people watch YouTube than NBC. Key to this is ease of access, so Roku is huge for us. As are SmartTVs, AppleTV, GoogleTV, BoxeeBox, etc."
When asked about competiton possibly hurting TWiT in the Internet Broadcasting space, Laporte adds "We need more networks not fewer. It's not good for TWiT to be the only one in the space."
Laporte's media empire began when a disgruntled customer sniped "save it for the radio" in regard to the voices Laporte would make while serving dinner at the college dining hall. That comment propelled him into the campus radio station where he would begin his media career.
On the future of TWiT, "As the rodeo clown said to the cannonball salesman, I am not sure where it will go, but it's going to be one hell of a fun ride."
You can watch Twit live on Twit.tv
Brad Shoemaker
After a successful run as producer of two highly rated sports shows Brad Shoemaker, often known as 'BS' in the broadcasting circles, moved into the role of Web Director at Clear Channel Indianapolis bringing his longtime love of broadcast media and web design into one experience. After five years of meeting and exceeding the goals set forth, he found himself, like so many others, on the outside looking in as the terrestrial radio landscape changed from content creation to content republication.
