Posted in
WTF with tags
Marc Maron,
WTF,
podcast,
Adam Carolla,
My Damn Channel on 11/9/2011 7:28:29 AM by Rob Barnett
I started my career in radio and I started My Damn Channel as a response to getting tossed out of radio in 2006.
Podcasts are not new, but in the past few years, a number of brilliantly talented people with brains and balls decided to head to their garages and go punk - bringing new shows to the masses on the Internet - without any of the soul-killing, corporate execs able to stop these brave rebels from creating completely original "radio" that puts the "F" back in Freedom.
I created Free FM back in 2004 to give awesome talent like Adam Carolla a radio show that harkened back to the earliest days of freeform radio....a form never done better than the way it's still being done today by Howard Stern.
When I got "shit-canned" as Adam loves to say - and could no longer protect him from the devils - he got "shit-canned" too. Adam took to his garage to build a monster audience for his podcast and My Damn Channel continues to put our cash where our heart is as a paid sponsor.
Today, we pony up again to become a proud sponsor of
WTF with Marc Maron. If you know this show, then you simply need to know that I could no longer sit back and cheer for Marc without jumping in to support him. If you're uninitiated, then his words will be better than mine and I encourage you to watch the video of Marc's recent keynote speech given at the premiere comedy festival,
Just for Laughs in Montreal.
Like with Adam Carolla, you'll hear My Damn Channel artists and comedians on WTF with Marc Maron. From time to time, Marc will tell you about the good shit we're doing here to premiere original series with great talent and without any of the corporate red tape that used to get in our way.
And we've now got a whole new Marc Maron channel to check out regularly when you're on My Damn Channel, featuring his podcasts, videos, extras and excerpts with a link to subscribe and donate like we did to a rare talent taking the truth by the horns.
Rob Barnett
Founder/CEO,
www.MyDamnChannel.com
www.MyDamnChannel.com/WTF
www.MyDamnChannel.com
www.MyDamnChannel.com/SizzleReel
Posted in
Obama with tags
Obama,
freedom,
911,
Osama Bin Laden,
White House on 5/2/2011 7:23:11 AM by Rob Barnett
It's an historic day on planet earth. We salute every family who's suffered terror. We salute our President. We salute every woman and man serving freedom on the frontlines of a war that goes on.
We'll continue to entertain you at My Damn Channel as we honor and praise what's right and what's just.
"Justice has been done." (President Barack Obama, 5.1.11)
Posted with tags
Mark Malkoff,
My Damn Channel,
internet,
twitter,
facebook,
bathroom on 3/10/2011 11:47:57 AM by DannyMoney
Like most people, I take some things for granted. Freedom? Never really think about it. Sliced bread? Sandwiches come and go with nary a thought to this marvel of our times. The yo-yo? Ditto.
But there's one thing I don't take for granted: Mark Malkoff. The dude's a zany stunt machine. Time after time he does something unique and wonderful, like locking himself in his bathroom without technology for five days.
So while I may take some things for granted, such as the air in my lungs, this is not the case with Mark Malkoff. Go revisit some of his work, and get ready for a new Malkoff video coming to My Damn Channel on March 16th. Excited? You bet I am!
As an avid fan of Super Bowl Champions the Green Bay Packers, I've spent much of the last week celebrating by shoveling as many different kinds of cheese down my throat as possible. True, this is how I mostly go about life to begin with, but the cholesterol choking off my arteries and slowly murdering me has been especially festive as of late.
But not everyone was pleased with what went down on their TVs last Sunday. Steelers fans, sure. But music fans also suffered a devastating one-two punch in the forms of Christina Aguilera's freedom-hating National Anthem flub, and the Black Eyed Peas' over-aggressive imperative to "DRANK!" And then there are those weirdoes who only watch the Super Bowl "for the ads." And for these folks there was nothing more controversial and upsetting than Groupon's "save your money"-themed ads skewering celeb activism.
Okay, fair enough. A drunken, sports-obsessed viewing audience and a perhaps too-subtle bit of Swiftian satire do not the perfect marriage make. But if you're looking to be shocked, angered, and perplexed by advertising, these videos remain the gold standard...
First, we have this
cute lil' nightmare factory from famed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.
What is Inochi-Kun? My best guess is ceaseless, unending horror. Don't even think about mushrooms while you watch this, or your eyeballs will start to bleed and white foam will start to come out of your nose.
And then there's
this gem, from a pre-Muppets Jim Henson, shilling for the now-defunct Wilkins Coffee.
Why is this lumpy little proto-Kermit being such a dick about coffee? What is his agenda? Frankly, I don't like being strong-armed into drinking dirty water. No wonder the Wilkins Company's mafia tactics drove them out of business.
But if you're looking for puppets, why not check out the frightening-yet-friendly beasties of
Spook House Dave!?
In this episode, the monsters try to cope with Dave's absence while he's away at summer camp. Suffice to say, they don't exactly hold it together. Maybe they just need to get out of the castle. I hear Groupon has some great deals on hot air balloon rides.
My Damn Channel is 3 years old today.
Punk was still a baby when this photo was taken. Nixon is looming in the background. He's pointing the finger!
The pic is taken during a time called "college radio" before consultants sucked freedom out of the souls of rock radio madmen and mystical women who turned us onto music completely capable of changing and defining our lives.
I first met Harry Shearer that year. I chased rock dreams through radio, television and film - and called Harry in late 2006, with the idea to start a then-unnamed business which became My Damn Channel. I called Don Was. I called David Wain.
We launched My Damn Channel exactly 3 years ago, on July 31, 2007.
We give artists we love, trust and respect all the tools they need to skip over stone walls of multi-national media empires and create video delivered directly to you.
We've never been stupid enough to think www.MyDamnChannel.com would be the most visited online destination in the world. But we built a home base big and bad enough for every creator to have their own channel and we built a massive distribution network to move video onto every digital platform where we can make a solid business deal to support the work. The good shit ain't free.
We built a business driven by advertising, licensing and the certainty that we can bring you talent and content in special events later this year - worthy of a buck or two from you to support the art. Crazy, right?
Artists like Illeana Douglas prove that companies like IKEA can connect in a whole new way with millions of people watching millions of videos every hour. Illeana birthed a baby called "Easy to Assemble," which Ad Age dubbed "the most-watched sponsored web show."
We survived the world's worst economy and found our way to success because YOU watch and share our videos. THANK YOU.
We have artists that trust us to respect their art. THANK YOU.
We have sponsors and business partners who believe that we can deliver the good shit and guarantee millions of eyes on it all. THANK YOU.
We have backers who put their faith and coin into a vision for a new show business as powerful today as television was in the 50's. YOU GET IT! THANK YOU!
We have a man named Warren Chao, our Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, who knew how to stop us from avoiding most of the mistakes baby companies make to screw it all up. Warren: I've never known a single human being as smart, dedicated and effective inside a company as you. THANK YOU.
Biggest thanks to our families for not killing us when the hill seemed to high to climb!
RESPECT and THANKS to every one of you who have spent a day inside our small, evolving staff of rebels and business partners.
(Keep an eye out for your party invite!)
We start year four today. Documented in "the world's longest press release" here - with all our new channels for your immediate inspection.
One more major announcement is coming out in days to prove that you'll still have My Damn Channel to kick around for years to come.
F Nixon.
Woke up and did something I haven't done since 11/7/07.
I read the first blog entry at My Damn Channel. We were about 3 months past our 7/31/07 launch.
The Writers' Strike had just begun. We were moving from our first NY space on Ninth Ave. to new digs off 7th Ave. You can read the rest. The veiled reference to that phone call was about Coolio. His series, "Cookin' with Coolio", created 10 episodes full of fast freedom.
Two and half years later, we just moved back to our original space. The hackey, over-used movie title speaks volumes. We're back. Inna Good Way.
Our last office had massive water damage, reconstruction insanity, busted elevators and - oh yeah - 3 terror scares in a week - so the webgods said "MOVE."
The new place is coming together - we're growing - we're hiring - we're launching all new programming all summer long and heading towards 7/31/10 - our 3rd birthday.
Perfect that Mr. Banjo was the commentor on blog one. Respect to the Smokester.
Posted in
Howard Stern with tags
Howard Stern,
Howard TV,
Rob Barnett,
My Damn Channel,
Radio,
Steven Clean,
Harry Shearer,
WKRP,
WCOZ,
The Rolling Stones,
WAAF,
420,
Sirius on 4/24/2010 5:08:43 PM by Rob Barnett
Like millions of us, my stepmom is a lifelong Howard Stern fan. She just sent this photo taken off of Howard TV, airing our in-studio interview from earlier this week. I had the honor of being Howard Stern's guest on his Tuesday, 420 show (scroll to 840a).
Response is coming into My Damn Channel via email, phones, video views, comments, new subscribers, tweets, wall postings, and even a live spotting this afternoon in a clothing store (to complete the surreality). The influx of intense energy all flows back to a man undeniably uniquely qualified to hold the heavyweight title: "King of All Media."
Howard endures as one of the most talented and honest souls alive. He embodies the freedom of speech with every breath. For all who've been fired, laid off, downsized, pink slipped, discharged, axed, or job eliminated...it's hard to imagine speaking truth to power on a live microphone the way Howard has done it for decades.
I first followed Howard Stern on a carrier current, college radio station, 64 WTBU at Boston University. (There's a great scene depicting TBU in "Private Parts.")
If you've ever chased a radio dream, then your college years are likely the last time and place you ever experienced the fear and thrill of exercising your freedom of speech over a live mic.
Primordial FM rock radio stations were created in the late 1960's. Early heroes like Harry Shearer and Steven Clean were blowing minds at places like KPPC in Pasadena, California (which eventually became the world famous KROQ).
The combined forces of original radio talents and pre-corporate rock music created stations throughout the 70s powerful enough to infect audiences with a sense of community, purpose, passion, sex and fun that began to hit the wall around 1980.
I was sitting on the front steps of my apartment on Beacon Street in Boston with Steven Clean and my best friend, Mike Isabella the night Ronald Reagan was elected President. I was 20. I was about to drop out of college and take a full-time job as a rock radio jock at WAAF out in Worcester, Mass. One year later, I had the only radio thrill that came closest to being on Howard's show this week. Lightning struck and we convinced the Rolling Stones to do a private show for our station's fans in 1981 to start up the "Tattoo You" tour.
But, back to Mr. Clean. I'd been Steven's intern for a time at WCOZ in Boston. At that point in his career, Clean had been fired by many of the best radio stations in the country. He was a real life inspiration for the Dr. Johnny Fever character in "WKRP in Cincinnati." Steven was incredibly talented, brilliant, a true music expert and fan...and he was rebellious enough to drive the most patient souls to the edge of their sanity.
Considering the nation's new President, Steven held a joint firmly in my face and said, "See this? This is OVER!"
By the time of Reagan's second term, most radio station managers had a "Just Say No" policy for disc jockeys expressing free thoughts on mic, or taking free reign over any music playlist.
A small number of former radio station program directors shaved their beards, cut their hair, bought expensive suits, and armed themselves with halliburton briefcases filled with blow and bullshit designed to convince every fearful radio exec that they had the only secrets to ratings success, fortune and fame.
Conformity soon became the norm. Tighter playlists made stations sound the same from city-to-city. The job of disc jockey was transforming free thinkers into people paid to read positioning slogans, timechecks and weather forecasts.
In the midst of all this unholy homogenization, Howard Stern began to build a radio show free from the constraints put on most of his competitors. His talent grew on the radio and expanded with every carefully planned new project he launched.
Superfans know that Howard pays homage to legends who came before him like Lenny Bruce and George Carlin. I can't think of another entertainer who has more succesfully won battles with corporate brass than Howard. One of the many surprises about the real man to outsiders is how he maintains his position with grace and wisdom.
No one knows what the next chapter will be for the Stern show in 2011. Assume Howard can see the possible moves on the chess board more clearly than most. As a fan, I'll be following as I have since the beginning. As a business owner, My Damn Channel stands ready to serve The King anytime he calls.
Posted in
My Damn Channel with tags
My Damn Channel on 6/14/2009 3:21:38 PM by Rob Barnett
Our 2d anniversary arrives next month. Taking stock tonight. Thinking about the reasons we birthed this baby. Thinking about the point. And honoring every collaborator still passionate enough to rally against bullshit.
Warren Chao & I started our ride because YouTube turned old media upside down and ignited a new democratic digital revolution. Media corporations born in the 1920's don't do rebellion well. It became clear that timing and technology gifted us a chance to launch a new, independent media company.
We set out to serve 3 masters:
- to give talent unprecedented freedom to create for their fans
- to give our community the best original work from artists without all of the usual network interference in the way
- to give brands the benefits of reaching one of the most engaged, mass audiences created since the birth of Rock & Roll.
We saw 3 distinct video doors opening:
Door #1: User-generated, aggregated
Door #2: Repurposed professional
Door #3: Original
YouTube created and won the first game. All who attempt to grab this throne face a heavy slog.
There's clearly a business in repurposing television and other old goodies through new media distribution. But we're not the moguls who control that solid gold.
We create original, episodic comedy, music and sports with artists who are as honest as their fans.
Our staff is ridiculously small. Our goals are extremely large. We're heading into one of the more 'interesting' weeks (long XTC story about that another time) and we're heading into the 2d anniversary zone by honoring U humans responsible for creating, distributing and watching our videos. Thanks for being a part of this.
If you made it here to THE NIGHT FEED blog on MY DAMN CHANNEL even once before, then you've likely made it into more than one of the 9 circles below.
HAPPY 09! The sun is coming up & as we get ready to race around it again with you - here are nods & promises:
To Our Families & Friends:
The work is impossible without your support & meaningless without your love.
To Our Artists:
To those who've been with us, those who remain, & those about to join My Damn Channel in 09...we built this ship for you: a studio, a network, a syndicator & a cash-creator like no other. Freedom reigns - red tape disappears & you're in the driver's seat to reach as large an audience as you can - and to reap the rewards you deserve. We worship your ability to make people smile, dance & think.
To Our Fans:
Thank you for finding us, for spreading our url and our videos - but most importantly - thank you for setting the bar as high as you like. The stats don't lie and we're ready for another 365-day lesson about what you want and what's not worth shit.
We built the site going against the grain where a zillion others put a few needles inside a humungous haystack. Here, we bring you a smaller number of better web series. But there's enough of you coming now on a daily basis to grab more help from sponsors - so you'll get MORE series to watch.
We trust you to keep attacking us with what's right & what's horribly wrong. You know how to find us.
To Our Advertisers:
We found you an experienced and skilled new leader in Suhaila Suhimi. In the first days of 09, we're ready to unveil our new plans. We're going to give you the opportunity to get inside new series with major talent. And we're also ready to co-create more branded entertainment that delivers high-quality, affordable, effective results.
To Our Backers:
Others have fallen trying in 08. They raised too much (or too little), they over-promised, under-delivered, and crashed. Thank you for believing that we could sign pro talent, build big audience, and win the trust of major advertisers to bring us to break-even at break-neck pace. We've proven that our model works, now we prove that it scales.
To Our Syndication partners:
You've given us the promotion and the placement we needed to prove that our videos deliver for your audiences. To potential new partners, we'll continue to offer the best original music & comedy and ask just two things in return: significant promotion and a straight-up rev deal.
To Our Competitors:
Respect to every runner out there who is brave enough to enter the race. There's room for more than a few winners. And there's room for some of the smarter teams to run together.
To Our Staff & Every Human creating My Damn Channel 24/7:
We're a small group of determined punks proving that you don't need a thousand execs to screw in a light bulb. Your brilliance is blinding. Your dedication is inspiring. We're winning the game inside the worst economic crisis of our time because of YOU. You make it fun to get out of bed every morning. 09 will be an even bigger blast for all of us.
