111 Comments

1. Instapundit » Blog Archive » YEAH, the PJM ad-network model isn’t working. I don’t have much to do with the PJM business side, b…:

[...] MORE: Roger Simon: “We disbanded the ad network part of our business for a simple reason: it was losing money [...]

Jan 31, 2009 - 11:31 am 2. Sissy Willis:

That letter would have been less off-putting had you explained up front that the ad network part of the business was losing money.

I enjoyed being part of PJM in the beginning but have realized for some time that network bloggers like myself were becoming unused vestigial appendages that had outlived our usefulness.

Thanks for the memories.

Jan 31, 2009 - 11:55 am 3. Roger L Simon:

You’re right, Sissy, I should have explained that more clearly. I guess I thought it was obvious. Anyway, everyone is still welcome to contribute to PJM main page, etc.

Jan 31, 2009 - 12:03 pm 4. cthulhu:

Not to put too fine a point on it, but was it losing so much money that it couldn’t have been moved to breakeven?

If the financials were out there and said that revenue were 80% of blog payments, perhaps the blog payments could have been haircutted by 20% to bring things into balance.

Jan 31, 2009 - 12:10 pm 5. Pops in Vienna:

I don’t recall any of the great thinkers of our American Revolution being paid to write down their ideas in the pursuit of liberty for their countrymen.

Let the sunshine patriot and the summer soldier fade from the scene. For the next four years we’ll be in another fight for our freedoms. Let the mercenaries write for King Obama.

I love PJM but so far the TV part of it doesn’t impress me. Definitely hope I am wrong about that.

Jan 31, 2009 - 12:19 pm 6. PC14:

I have read your blog for a long time and write a message every so often. I’m not sure why, but I’ve probably never been over to PJ Media more than 3-4 times. And I have never watched TV there. I don’t think I have the patience to watch TV during the time I’m riding the internet waves. But the best of luck with PJ.

Jan 31, 2009 - 12:32 pm 7. Summer Seale:

@ Pops in Vienna:

“I don’t recall any of the great thinkers of our American Revolution being paid to write down their ideas in the pursuit of liberty for their countrymen.”

It’s a valid point, but not a real comparison. The great thinkers of the American Revolution, by and large, were fairly well to do land owners. Their publishing costs could be easily funded by their own pockets. Some of the big sites rely entirely on advertising revenue to keep going as it has become their full time job.

If they were wealthy landowners who could sit around and philosophize all day without worrying *too* much about the books apart from a few days every month, I’m sure they would easily be convinced to keep going without advertising revenue. =)

Jan 31, 2009 - 12:38 pm 8. Timekeeper:

Add me to the chorus of voices that aren’t interested in PJTV. One of the reasons I don’t watch TV news is the bias, but the real reason is that I like being able to skim through the parts that don’t interest me and pick out the heart of the argument. That simply doesn’t work with video, and video also takes much longer to load than does text. Putting all of your eggs into the PJTV basket is likely to spell the end of PJM, regardless of the fee structure; I don’t think that there is going to be enough traffic there to support it. Cutting off all of the bloggers who were at the heart of what made PJM different from the old guard eliminates the distinction.

Jan 31, 2009 - 12:44 pm 9. Rose:

I am confused. It was never exactly clear to me what Pajamas was, how one went about joining, or being part of it – it always appeared that it was the bigger bloggers, who were invited in, there were no links I could find that explained how one “joined.” No explanation of how the thing worked, how the ads worked, how the revenue thing worked, what kind of traffic you needed to do it – I didn’t spend a ton of time looking for it, but after a little bit of fruitless poking around for an answer, I dropped it.

Would that have make a difference? Did you need more people participating? Most all of us are operating on free platforms like Blogger or Wordpress, but I think we all realize that sooner or later we’re going to have to pony up for our space – would you consider something like that – a subscription type deal – or is that completely off base… people are saying they are ‘out of business.’

Most of us out here have no idea what this all means and entails.

Has anyone written an explanation?

Jan 31, 2009 - 12:44 pm 10. Republican Disasters:

Pajamas TV… boring as hell.

Another Reich-wing FAIL.

Jan 31, 2009 - 12:47 pm 11. Dan Collins:

Roger, Jeff’s particular beef was with the way he wasn’t utilized. I hope that I’ve made this clear. I think it might have been a good thing to be more upfront with him about why that might have been, especially given your book on apostacy.

I realize, we realize, that the ad revenue has taken a turn for the worse that wasn’t anticipated by anyone but Peter Schiff.

Jeff says that he offered to go to the Dem Convention in Denver, as well as to cover other things, and he got “we’ll get back to you” emails that were never followed up. If you’ve got a problem with an employee, it seems that it’s best to be up front about it.

Dialogue between you and ed. gives the appearance of a reciprocity that in my view hasn’t really been there.

Now then: if you could be specific about why Protein Wisdom was marginalized, that might help us understand better.

Jan 31, 2009 - 12:48 pm 12. Roger Explains [Dan Collins]:

[...] rogering. Sort of. Posted by Dan Collins @ 1:51 pm | Trackback SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Roger Explains [Dan [...]

Jan 31, 2009 - 12:51 pm 13. Jody:

I’m not really sure putting your hopes on a proprietary, pay, web video system for talking-head political programming with very little shelf-life is an accurate reading of where WebTv is going.

It’s your money to loose though…

Jan 31, 2009 - 1:03 pm 14. Rollory:

“Actually that part of our business has been losing money from the beginning”

because you never actually tried to make a real business out of it, because what you care about isn’t creating a profitable venture, but rather influencing people via media.

Dennis went over this ground in sufficient detail.

Jan 31, 2009 - 1:03 pm 15. Liberty Girl:

At the risk of possibly stating the obvious, perhaps Goldstein’s “value” was only apparent to Goldstein.

Jan 31, 2009 - 1:04 pm 16. Hot Air » Blog Archive » The obligatory “Hot Air’s revenue stream goes up in smoke” post; Update: PJM speaks:

[...] Roger Simon weighs in: Actually that part of our business has been losing money from the beginning, so the [...]

Jan 31, 2009 - 1:06 pm 17. happyfeet:

What this place needs is more brilliant and edgy bloggers what are also kind people. What live in Colorado. And wrassle. And can discuss intentionalism. And don’t kowtow to the silly GOP. And know Baracky for what he is. More of those kind please.

Jan 31, 2009 - 1:16 pm 18. Brian:

To Dan Collins:

Was Jeff of Protein ever an “employee” of PJ Media?

I thought instapundit.com, proteinwisdom.com, etc., were independent business entities, who contracted with PJ to get advertising dollars. So the passivity implied by remarks to the effect that one is getting screwed by PJ seem out of place.

The deal went bust, and now all parties are released from exclusivity and free to monetize their content through deals with other networks or advertisers.

Jan 31, 2009 - 1:33 pm 19. happyfeet:

No. The guy what has the hat is right about the convergence. The cool kids with their iPod Touchy thingies are already consuming a lot of short form video. And Windows Media Center is good and getting better. And Xbox is building an infinitely scalable platform for delivering that kind of thing. Plus lots of different mobile plays. A business model isn’t what PJTV needs so much really I think. What they need is a hit.

Jan 31, 2009 - 1:46 pm 20. David Block:

Yes, what Dan said.

Look, if I want talking heads, I’ll go to my TV most of the time. Honestly, if I had a schedule in advance (like a day in advance) I might actually watch something. Of course, even FOX News screws that up, giving me promos that I don’t have a chance to read until the show is over.

I know when the Professor is on because he plugs it. Other things are not as well publicized and I tend not to watch them.

There is the appearance of personal favoritism here, particularly regarding the DNC in Denver. That needs to be fixed. Pronto.

Jan 31, 2009 - 1:49 pm 21. happyfeet:

Of course, the dirty socialists already do this internet tv thing for free. Mr. Soros is big like that.

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:01 pm 22. happyfeet:

I think my link messed up … for *free*

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:03 pm 23. jaed:

No wonder those people are kicking and screaming now that they are off the dole.

No class, Roger. You owe several people an apology for that crack.

Seriously, you enter into a business agreement with these people, it doesn’t work out financially, you abruptly terminate, and you tell everyone that they were “on the dole”? You were doing them some sort of favor by carrying out your part of the agreement? Who on earth will want to do business with you, if that’s your attitude and if this is the way you behave?

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:05 pm 24. BfC:

Whatever happens, I do wish the best for PJ and everyone involved.

I have really enjoyed the “Internet Revolution” and reading all of the “not-liberal” voices out there–Here in California, it is difficult to keep things in perspective.

A few of the things that have killed Mass Internet Ads for me include:

o Moving/Blinking/Sound Ads
o privacy invading cookies
o Flash and javadownloads
o viruses injected by 3rd party (many times hijacking servers)
o Ads that reflect badly on the host site (I know–not really in your control most of the time)

Not saying that PJM has been involved in this–just the actions of others are killing the golden calf (or at least the brass calf) for everyone.

Again the best of luck and skill navigating these shark filled waters.

-Bill

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:13 pm 25. Alan Kellogg:

Yo, Roger, I work cheap! When I work.

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:14 pm 26. Peg:

Perhaps it will change after time, but, I actually dislike the Pajamas TV. I echo the thoughts of others who say that on the Internet, the ability to skim and pick and choose what you like and wish to reject is important. With a video – you have to sit and wait to get to “the beef.”

Additionally, I’ve never been a big PJ fan. I very much like some of the bloggers – like Roger and several others. But I generally would visit on my “rounds” through my favorite blog links – not because of Pajamas.

I’m pretty dense as to how it all works. All I know is that in my mind, it is the individual talented bloggers that get me reading and visiting. Also – I agree with the “cheap shot” comment about being on the dole. People like Ed Morrissey and Allah and some others do fine work. Those on “the dole” should only perform like this!

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:21 pm 27. Bob Reed:

I second what Dan Collins said.

And I would add that I believe that you’re making an error placing all of your eggs in the PJTV basket. I understand that like many, you at PJM see the next step in home entertainment being the fusion of the internet and televeison to provide true on demand programming…

I humbly submit that it is already being done by the individual cable companies, at least on the east coast north of DC, the same companies that are bundling telephone, internet, and televised content…

What makes you think that folks will want to pay more to subscribe to PJTV, when thay already have access to many different channels through their cable provider? Do you think it’s to have access to an alternative to the overriding MSM liberal bias?; I believe Fox has that covered. And I also believe that their stable of talent is probably more appealing than many of those that you have been spending so much to keep in house; but I admit that I can’t be sure since I won’t pay to watch them!

I believe that there are flaws to some of your underlying assumptions that you base your business model on. Imitating TV news isn’t necessarily going to allow you to supplant them. Thinking people like to read serious content, instead of take notes or watch televised content repeatedly. I also believe that you didn’t take proper advantage of some of the talent available to you, as in the case of Jeff Goldstein. In his particular case it seems as though you treated him shabbily, prevaricating when it came to his offers to cover the DNC in Denver, and then simply hiring other, lesser, characters to do so instead…

I wish you the best in your endeavours, but fear for the worst…

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:27 pm 28. gareth:

sadly, this looks like an exact repeat of how you sloughed off your last set of collaborators when you set up PJM.

You don’t have any reason to diss the people who you havent kept well informed. Not very classy.

On the TV model, I don’t think it stands a hope in hell of succeeding. I won’t watch television news at home, why would I want to watch it on-line? I surf text, pick up the interesting bits and move on. TV is not my news acquisition model, and bloviating commentators don’t interest me.

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:30 pm 29. Melanie Hamilton:

“Captain Butler (read Simon), you have come between me and mine so many times that I wouldn’t think to question your methods.”

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:31 pm 30. Horrible Leftist:

Tragic, just tragic. I assure that I take no joy in your demise. I would never mock your ambition or chuckle at your mistakes. It would be wrong. So very, very wrong.

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:52 pm 31. Bill:

I agree, the “on the dole…” is a cheap shot and a no class remark by Mr. Simon.

Jaed (#11 above) has it exactly right. I wouldn’t want to do business with PJM if that’s the classless way that one of it’s principals ends the relationship. What an ass.

FWIW.

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:54 pm 32. Melanie Wilkes:

Sorry, the correct quote is:

“Captain Butler, you have come between me and mine and disaster so many times that I wouldn’t think to question your methods.”

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:58 pm 33. Lynn:

Internet advertising doesn’t pay anything. Everyone who has been involved in any way has found that out. PJ was way overpaying bloggers, hoping this would change. It didn’t. Ultimately, a business decision obviously had to be made. I fail to see what everyone is complaining about. Actually, the dole comparison is accurate. If there are blogs you love, tip them. Or buy ads on these blogs. Or go complain to advertisers. But don’t expect a company to keep handing out money in an unsustainable way. Unless you want to hire Barney Frank as the CEO and then have him tax all of you to keep the bloggers in the network. Sheesh!

Jan 31, 2009 - 2:58 pm 34. A. N. Pierson:

What Lynn said.

Whether you call this a dole or a loss leader is immaterial. Facts are facts. PJM has been carrying a network for, what is it, two-three years now? It’s worth noting this is not a right wing phenomenon. I remember reading the HuffPo has been having similar problems for its investors. Probably worse.

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:21 pm 35. docweasel:

More examples of so-called “conservative” blogs not walking the walk when they talk the talk about fiscal conservatism. Ironically, these are the same blogs pontificating about the bail-out and decrying the government subsidy of businesses who can’t legitimately survive in the workplace. They have been receiving welfare for quite a while from PJM, who hoped they would eventually begin to earn their way. They have failed, so PJM is shutting off the welfare spigot, and they are whinging like UAW workers forced to accept the realities of the capitalist system.

Goldstein, who seems to think he’s a bit more important, talented and worthwhile among bloggers than the marketplace does, is whinging especially loudly. Schadenfreude is schweet.

Dan, I can easily see why PJM would not want to “utilize” JG as an official representative. He has a terrible temperament.

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:34 pm 36. Darleen:

Lynn, Pierson,

The problem is that Roger/PJM never told the bloggers they solicited to give up other revenue streams to sign onto PJM that is WAS a “loss-leader”. So the “PJM was handing out welfare” schtick is akin to a cat trying to cover up its own mess on a tile floor.

PJM was less than honest with its bloggers and now is insulting them.

Not good business practice.

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:37 pm 37. Darleen:

docweasel

Getting paid for placing advertising is not welfare. And if the people who are placing the ad are losing money, then that’s their poor business acumen, not some sort of malfeasance by Ace, Rusty, The Anchoress, Jeff Goldstein or any other of the network bloggers who signed contracts with PJM.

But you know that … you’re just looking for an opening to grind your own little axe.

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:44 pm 38. reliapundit:

sorry rog’.

and i agree with others: i think talking heads is old.

huffpo works because the posters are famous OUTSIDE the intertubes.

your line-up are mostly only famous within a much narrower segment: the blogosphere.

though the roster includes some wonderful minds – rossett, ledeen vdh, et al – and blog-legends (glenn, lgf et al – they just don’t have the pull you need to get bigger numbers.

they never will.

you need celebrities – and ron silver doesn’t count.

you need heavyweights inside politics: rove; delay; vin weber; kemp; newt; romney; palin.

i suggest you morph into a right of center and hawkish GOP huffpo.

with daily/weekly posts co-writtien by the likes of the above -

and THEM on tv with your hosts.

ALL THE BEST!

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:45 pm 39. l:

Any corp that puts Joe the Plumber on is alright by me.

We need an alternative to the MSM. I’m not quite understanding this entire PJ alternative – but I hope you make money at it.

Do you talk to the guys at American Thinker?? Those are some really good journalists if you ask me.

Liffson (sp??) is a Harvard grad and has a great site. I wanted him on the cutting edge of the new movement to internet.

What can you do to include him?

(I’m just an AT reader – but I think that those people should get more broad “play”.)

Good luck!

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:47 pm 40. Warren Bonesteel:

Docweasel makes a good point about conservatives not following through on their stated beliefs in real life situations. Hypocrisy, thy name is ideology.

That said, PJM apparently made a business deal with independent ‘contractors.’ Business is business and a deal’s a deal. Accusing your contractors and partners of being “on the dole” is total crap. Plus, it’s not good business …and it tells tales about the character of the man who made that statement.

As for Protein Wisdom, I’ve found that Jeff is a thinking man’s thinking man…but he also has a wicked sense of humor. Anyone who has problems with that? Well, they have a mind that is so shallow as to be non-existant.

See? Insult for insult, Mr. Simon. Flies. Honey. That sort of thing…

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:51 pm 41. Ten:

Oh, and Lynn? Online advertising generates billions in revenues. If you know what you’re doing, 50mm pages/mo can pay $100k/mo to the portal site alone.

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:53 pm 42. Joe:

Roger, you are losing talent that could make PJM TV better. Just putting content that works on a blog into a TV format is a big mistake. You have to use the medium to its potential. I may not like a lot of Sixty Minutes editorial view point, but it knows how to sell a story on television. If you are going to get our attention for fifteen minutes, you better give us a good reason. Reason, hmmm, go check out Drew Carey’s fifteen minute clips and see how it should be done.

But if what you are telling everyone is the Titanic is going down, well best be off for the life boats.

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:55 pm 43. Don Callins:

Hey, Goldcocksteinslap, you got played! If you don’t like it, take Simon to court. And get off the wife’s teat and earn money like a man.

Simon’s twice the ‘brew you’ll ever be.

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:56 pm 44. Joe:

Joe the Plumber in Israel. Okay, I liked Joe the Plumber. It seems expensive and what exactly is Joe the Plumber’s connection with a middle east crisis–a regular Joe soaking in the fun of Gaza (or rather Beer Sheva)? You would get a lot more for your money having Joe the Plumber address union issues in Ohio. Or having Jeff Goldstein embarass Democrats at their convention in Denver. I could go on and on.

Jan 31, 2009 - 3:58 pm 45. Joe:

Hey Don Callins–Jeff Goldstein is having a seminar in Chicago in April. I hear there are sponsors willing to pay your travel costs there to speak to Jeff at the seminar. You should check it out.

Jan 31, 2009 - 4:03 pm 46. Sissy Willis:

No matter what all will say, and each will say what he will, I hereby toast the man whose vision collided with the latest downside of the business cycle. Roger Simon is a national treasure.

Jan 31, 2009 - 4:19 pm 47. Dan Collins:

Uh, that previous comment is not from me, Roger, as you’ll observe if you compare ISPs.

Jan 31, 2009 - 4:21 pm 48. Bababailout:

I first learned about PJM through the bloggers, and I suspect most of PJM’s exposure came from there. Now they are under the bus. Good luck getting folks to pay for extended op ed vids online. Maybe you should hook up withh Rather and Cuban. They’re tearin’ it up with the same vision.

Jan 31, 2009 - 4:22 pm 49. Joe:

Dan: He also called himself Don Callins. And no that is not me either. I just know there are PW readers who would love to sponsor him to that seminar.

Jan 31, 2009 - 4:43 pm 50. Sissy Willis:

Good night, sweet prince. Don’t let the bitter ones get you down.

Jan 31, 2009 - 4:50 pm 51. Pajamas Media Shutting Down Ad Network (Leaves Conservative Bloggers In The Poor House) | The Blog Herald:

[...] the ad network was not profitable from the very beginning,

Jan 31, 2009 - 5:33 pm 52. Joe:

Well here is another guy who is going to lose some ad revenue. Although it does help to explain his appetite.

Jan 31, 2009 - 5:51 pm 53. Promoguy:

Who knew there was a business plan?
Who knew there was advertising?
Who knew I wouldn’t understand any thing said above?

What’s the effing big deal here. Do I still get to read Simon, et al? That’s all I want to know.

Given business climate that dole might start looking good pretty soon.

Jan 31, 2009 - 5:51 pm 54. Dan D:

Everybody has to realize that monetizing blogging is an unknown proposition, of the many thousands of blogs only a very few have found ways to be cash flow positive. The more time and effort you spend blogging, the more money you potentially lose.

Kudos to Roger and the Pajamas Media crew for their efforts to find a path in the wilderness. Media companies in general are financial disasters, even the ones who are not racing to oblivion are highly leveraged, and we all know how secure that leverage thing is these days.

I have read Protein Wisdom since before the hiatus some years back, and it is clear that Jeff has great talent as well as a unique and somewhat difficult or dramatic temperament. I’ve lived with people like that, and oftentimes there are consequences.

I hope all members of the network succeed in attracting the support they need to continue.

Jan 31, 2009 - 6:22 pm 55. Dan D:

Roger, while I have long followed you and other PJM bloggers, I do have problems using the PJTV venture. At home, broadband is not available, and web TV is not possible with a slow dialup connection. At work I have broadband, but watching videos is verboten, unless they are competitor research or continuing education, and our usage is closely monitored by the IT droids. Just for what it’s worth.

Jan 31, 2009 - 6:37 pm 56. yehudit:

“Hawkish Huffington Post” – excellent idea. That’s what the centrist-rightosphere needs. Maybe a partnership with Hewitt/Townhall or NRO?

I also never watch PJTV or news video on the net in general unless it’s a clip embedded in a blog post.

Jan 31, 2009 - 6:38 pm 57. newscaper:

Roger, my condolences. Hope y’all manage some sort of effective transformation.

I will add my voice to those skeptical of PJTV.

I think the *only* way that will fly with most blog readers (your starting point for an audience) is if all the videos have readily available transcripts.

I know I’m personally annoyed — on all sorts of websites, when an interesting headline catches my eye, only to find its a video-only story.

I cannot emphasize enough tthe need ot do things in parallel.

Jan 31, 2009 - 6:40 pm 58. Fellow Liberals Gloat; Conservatives Sniffle As Pajamas Media Goes Broke And Goes For More Future Brokeness | THE GUN TOTING LIBERAL™:

[...] I congratulate them for making the “big bucks” blogging for the short time they did. Roger L. Simon, the founder, had been bankrolling the whole thing at a loss (Pajamas Media) for many moons; most likely himself the victim of unscrupulous jerks who had [...]

Jan 31, 2009 - 6:44 pm 59. Vie de Malchance - If Jesus is the answer, what’s the question? » RIP, Pajamas Media:

[...] doesn’t help himself: Actually that part of our business has been losing money from the beginning, so the people [...]

Jan 31, 2009 - 6:48 pm 60. Charlie (Colorado):

The big things to be learned here are three: (1) when you start a startup, you can’t be sure everything is going to work as well as you imagine to start; (2) even a wordsmith as experienced as Roger can be misunderstood; and (3) Goldstein is still a drama queen.

Jan 31, 2009 - 6:52 pm 61. Word from the Pajamas Media front | BitsBlog:

[...] —-Yes, to answer a few E-mails, I’ve seen the back and forth at Pajamas Media. [...]

Jan 31, 2009 - 6:54 pm 62. Joanne:

Roger, I started reading your blog when you first started blogging. It was a must read along with Lucianne. Your writing skills were awesome, and while I did not always agree with you, I always found you interesting. That changed around the time of Pajamas Media’s start.

Today I’ve read the gracious and humble way you’ve written bloggers to tell them they are no longer needed! You may be able to write, but you certainly do not have any class, sir.

Pajama’s and your site will no longer be on my list of good reads.

Jan 31, 2009 - 7:01 pm 63. happyfeet:

I don’t think those are particularly big things to be learned here.

Jan 31, 2009 - 7:41 pm 64. Ronnie Schreiber:

As newspapers and other media companies struggle, I think the portal itself will become more important. People still need the equivalent of the daily newspaper and since most newspaper sites are a little clunky I think the portal can be something like that.

As for PJTV, Roger’s point about the merging of tv & the net is a given. In any business, all other things being equal, the quality of the product is what determines success. Bloggers on video isn’t great tv. PJTV needs stars. Joe the Plumber was a great idea even only as a publicity stunt. I’d suggest making a deal with AlfonZo Rachel of Macho Sauce Productions and maybe Pat Condell in the UK. You need engaging and entertaining content.

Jan 31, 2009 - 7:48 pm 65. beb:

Hmmm, I came back to see if there was any response to my comment, only to find it wasn’t posted. No nasty attacks involved as I saw it so I can only guess why it was not approved.

I wonder if this one will also be lost in the ether.

Jan 31, 2009 - 8:23 pm 66. Jaim:

Have you considered studying the models of DailyKos and TalkingPointsMemo? You might not have heard, but they are successful and solvent money-making political blogs.

Jan 31, 2009 - 9:09 pm 67. KendraWilder:

PJTV is a doomed business model. Too many talking heads without the gravitas needed to maximize topic coverage in minimal sound bites, and too much temptation to give objectivity a pass……

I prefer the print media. Hopefully the affected bloggers will find alternative sources of income. There are so many outstanding Conservative voices in the blogosphere, losing even one will be sad and painful.

Regardless, I wish everyone the best, and will pray that all of you, regardless of who you are and what your business model is, will find success in the coming year.

Jan 31, 2009 - 9:19 pm 68. John Moore:

Roger, PJM is at the top of my feed reader list and I love the content.

PJTV, on other hand, is not priced anywhere close to what I would consider. I might pay $5/mo for it… maybe.

I subscribed for the Joe The Plumber bit and to try it out. I loved some of it and found other PJTV content no more interesting than an audio podcast. And, like many commenters, I far prefer text, where I can control the time line, so I rarely listen to podcasts.

I also found the extra month I had to pay to terminate my PJTV to be over the top.

I don’t think the value proposition is there for PJTV. I really wish you the best on it and hope I’m wrong [alright, pulling a Roger side remark, in a way I hope I'm right and you'll price it at a level where I'll subscribe].

Jan 31, 2009 - 10:09 pm 69. Brian:

Roger Simon:

Sorry if you took “kicking and screaming now that they are off the dole” as if it meant “kicking and screaming now that they are off the dole.”

No insult was intended.

Jan 31, 2009 - 10:17 pm 70. Carla:

Jaim, have you considered studying the model of Daily Kos? You might not have heard, but they don’t pay their contributors. Hello?

Jan 31, 2009 - 10:21 pm 71. Baron Bodissey:

“Dole”, eh? Nice.

We were thrown out of PJM last spring for ideological offenses. So we’ve had a little bit of time to gain a perspective.

Our readers made up the difference for the lost PJM ad revenue (and then some), so I guess you could say we’re on their “dole” now.

But it’s not a bad dole to be on. If we don’t please our readers with our blog, they don’t pay up. A pretty simple business model.

I hope the PJTV thing works out. I’d like to see it succeed.

–B

Jan 31, 2009 - 10:23 pm 72. A. N. Pierson:

Jaim 66 – the Daily Kos is a good business plan only for Kos. He doesn’t pay his bloggers anything. Pajamas was paying people. What’s your point? I also I don’t understand Yehudit’s yearning for a “Hawkish Huffington Post.” They’re losing tens of millions.

Jan 31, 2009 - 10:46 pm 73. David McKinnis:

Thanks Mr. Simon, but I’ve already got a television complete with beautiful people spouting platitudes.

Jan 31, 2009 - 11:30 pm 74. Rose:

Whatever else, bloggers, do not quit. We all need you.

Feb 1, 2009 - 12:11 am 75. Donklephant » Blog Archive » Where Did The Pajamas Media Money Go?:

[...] founder Roger L. Simon addresses the situation today and in doing so attempts to put the blame on the bloggers for not creating enough value: Actually [...]

Feb 1, 2009 - 12:15 am 76. Godzilla:

Roger, I think you should rethink your subscription plan. If you notice, the guy who pays the most per month ($5) is the one who also gets the least quality video (the 3-month subscription). Yikes, pay the most and get the crapiest reception (comparatively). Recommendation: give all subscribers the same video quality, but keep the pricing the same. If you also want to increase the feature availability per subscription term, don’t use the video, of all things! That’s your medium! Offer more content, to get longer term subscribers. However, for starters, I’d keep it simple. For a business model, check out what Limbaugh does…total stack of stuff…daily stack of stuff…video parodies…etc. But take your time. Don’t try to do it all in a day.

Feb 1, 2009 - 12:23 am 77. Godzilla:

Regarding Limbaugh, make that audio parodies instead of video. The point was to build up an archive that would be available to longer term subscribers. It shouldn’t be all video-based either, but can contain text-based information as well.

Feb 1, 2009 - 12:29 am 78. Mike:

I honestly don’t understand the bloggers’ beef (other than the word “dole”, which they do deserve an apology for.) For awhile now, they’ve been getting more money than they’ve generated. That over with, but they still own their domain names. They still benefit from whatever notoriety being part of PJM gave them. They’re not losing their existing following. They’ve gotten two months notice to find other sources of revenue. What exactly have they lost?

(OK, if I were told “we’re cutting you off because we need the money to send Joe the Plumber to Israel, I’d get pissed off too.)

Feb 1, 2009 - 12:51 am 79. Ethel P.:

Mike: “I honestly don’t understand the bloggers’ beef….:” I completely agree. But is it the bloggers plural – or just this one guy Goldstein and his fans?

Feb 1, 2009 - 1:11 am 80. Gen. JC Christian, patriot:

Yeah, I’m digging it, but I’m going to miss the comedy of seeing them all play act at being serious journalists. Now where will I get my Muslims-put-crescents-in-your-Lucky-Charms investigative reporting fix?

Feb 1, 2009 - 1:27 am 81. Mike:

And I agree that the PJTV pricing model needs to be reconsidered. Imagine how much you could charge people *not* to watch Joe the Plumber.

Feb 1, 2009 - 3:52 am 82. Terrye:

I have been around long enough to remember when Dennis the Peasant actually commented on Roger’s blog. I remember the fallout between them when their business relationship fell apart and Dennis’s subsequent obsession with the failure of Pajamas Media. But then Dennis does not like “Faux” news either. Or me very much. I made the mistake of taking exception when he said he “loathed” Bush.

But never mind all that. Since its inception there have been people on both sides of the political aisle who hoped PJM media would fail.

I for one, hope they succeed just so there are more voices in the media.

As for the bloggers, they may have to go back to doing what they were doing before there was a Pajamas Media. After all, what inspired them to get involved in blogging in the first place?

Feb 1, 2009 - 5:38 am 83. Bababailout:

“On the dole” is rather condescending, don’t you think? PJM and PJTV banners are all over the best conservative blogs, totaling millions of hits. They are promoting YOUR product, for which they deserve something.

The PJM meme came originally from the CBS debacle, and it was the bloggers working together that harpooned Rather. Claiming the PJM moniker without them seems a bit disingenuous, if not arrogant.

Business is business, but there is good and bad buainess. PJTV is a long shot, and it seems you are discarding what could be your best marketing tool, and alienating them at the same time.

Are you trying to send the MSM down the river, or become part of it? At the very least you should lose the condescending tone.

Feb 1, 2009 - 8:04 am 84. happyfeet:

um. They are trying to become part of it.

The theory behind this is that television is on the cusp of change and the Internet and the TV set will soon fuse. Apple TV already exists and several of the electronic companies have flat screen TVs in the pipeline with the Internet accessible at the click of a remote. Pajamas TV is trying to position itself for this in the long run.

Feb 1, 2009 - 8:20 am 85. Ten:

The theory behind this is that television is on the cusp of change and the Internet and the TV set will soon fuse.

Yes: It’s a theory all right. You’ve been saying that.

I’d comment again on how misled this idea is (for PJM, that is) but my comment would probably end up ditched.

Feb 1, 2009 - 8:26 am 86. SGT Ted:

I’m on the internet because I don’t like TV. Now you want to turn the internet into TV. No thanks.

Feb 1, 2009 - 9:00 am 87. Andrew Ian Dodge:

I would remind some of those feeling a bit hurt right now of the great “google screw” a few years ago. A lot of us lost a great deal of income due to the fact that google halved most of our PR ratings (in my case from 5 to 2) on which advertisers base their payments. I got so fed up after this that I stop bothering to monetize my blog at all as it was too little reward for effort.

Losing income is never easy and its understandable that some people are a bit miffed. The whole on-line advertising thing is in as much flux as the offline advertising. At least people got an explanation, some advert programs have been pulled virtually overnight with no warning at all.

Any time you feel like trashing PJM or PJTV just imagine how much glee you are giving to our opponents on the left.

Feb 1, 2009 - 9:16 am 88. somefeller:

Well, it sure looks to me like Pajamas Media, rather than being the great threat to the mainstream media that its promoters claimed it was, was instead just a vanity project that was funded by ideologically-motivated investors. It had a charity plan, in other words, not a business plan. It’s also pretty clear that Roger L. Simon isn’t someone you want to do business with. Lord knows, if I was working for / contracting with a part of a company that was losing money for years, I’d want to be informed of that sometime before the day I got the pink slip.

All class and business acumen, there, Rog.

Feb 1, 2009 - 9:33 am 89. BumperStickerist:

note the passive voice … “Losing money”

It’s more accurate to say that Roger has yet to figure out how to make money via the internet…

… with some of the most high-traffic blogs on teh interwebs at his disposal.

Feb 1, 2009 - 9:45 am 90. The Waterglass » PJM Goes Tango Uniform:

[...] Pajamas Media, the conservative-libertarian blog conglomerate, has gone tits-up: I wrote a letter to the Pajamas Media network bloggers yesterday, some of whom took it a bit more personally than intended. We disbanded the ad network part of our business for a simple reason: it was losing money and we couldn’t see how in the reasonable future that would change. [...]

Feb 1, 2009 - 10:53 am 91. Lynn:

Who has, BumperStickerist? Lots of people are trying, but no one’s figured it out. Yet. We all better hope someone does, though. IMO, attacking people who try is pathetic and counterproductive.

Feb 1, 2009 - 10:59 am 92. John Moore:

Pajamas Media is a needed experiment, and IMHO a valuable contribution to society. I find the portal to be one of several primary source of opinion/news. Those of us who want an alternative source of information, with a wide variety of informed writers, need this site.

We should support Roger and his project, regardless of past mistakes.

Feb 1, 2009 - 11:06 am 93. Marc Winetraub:

Did it ever occur to the smoldering remains of PM that no significant percentage of literate America gives a rat’s ass about your holy Jihad against your nemesis, THE MSM (scary music plays here)?

If ever there was a total refutation of movement conservatism, right wing ideology and the BIG LIE that is “right wing journalism” (PM), it was the massive victory enjoyed by President Obama. The Marketplace spoke loud and clear: PM sucked from the beginning and was nothing more than welfare for no-talent hacks.

So, PM, please regroup, refinance, retrench and regurgitate because your redux of EPIC FAIL will entertain even more that it did the first time around. Man, I’m gonna miss you.

Feb 1, 2009 - 11:28 am 94. John:

If headlining Joe the Plumber is an indication of the future of PJTV, it’s been nice knowing ya.

Who the heck wants to watch internet amateurs go blah blah blah about their opinions, anyway? Seriously, I surf the net becuase it gives me the freedom to absorb information ten times faster than listening to people talk. I can skim, jump from site to site and follow links to drill down into a story.

Webcasts just kill that, void any and all benefit. I think your limited success has gone to your heads, fellas.

Feb 1, 2009 - 11:43 am 95. fmfnavydoc:

Roger – you really screwed the pooch with your “On the dole” comment. Had you been talking to those that signed on with PJM before this announcement, so that they could look at other options for keeping their blogs open (I’m sure that some of them used the money from PJM to keep their sites up through local servers/ISP’s).

I don’t mind coming by here and checking out what’s been posted – PJ is a good clearinghouse for that. But, you could have handled the PJM issues better than you did – and I’m afraid that you will lose some contributors and traffic because of how you dealt with the demise of PJM.

Feb 1, 2009 - 11:59 am 96. John:

This kinda pisses me off though: “What’s their beef? I thought most of them were free marketeer libertarians or something.-ed. Go figure.”

Which are you mocking? Free marketeers, libertarians or both?

Free marketeer libertarians are allowed to be disappointed when business ventures don’t work out. They are allowed to have hard feelings when personalities and business arrangements bump up against each other.

The more I think about it, the angrier that comment makes me. You are handling this completely unprofessionally, Roger.

Feb 1, 2009 - 12:02 pm 97. Terrye:

Marc:

Actually Marc, it was not the market place speaking when Obama won, unless of course you are saying he was product that was bought and paid for.

The majority of Americans see the media has biased, numerous polls bear that out. And the market place has spoken pretty loud and clear by turning the NYT stock into junk.

Just remember this, what goes around, comes around.

Feb 1, 2009 - 12:52 pm 98. Joe:

This was poorly handled by Pajamas Media. I suppose you could say PW should have followed the Anchoress’ gracious example, but PW is the angry terrier of the blogosphere–PW is not PW without setting off a few blog flame wars.

Not only does Roger Simon and Pajamas Media come off as churish, it also makes Pajamas Media look weak. There is so many different ways this could have been handled, like just explaining the blog advertisment formula was not working and giving associates the option of staying on for less or voluntarily going off on their own.

My guess PW, Ace of Spades, Hot Air, and the Anchoress all survive. IP will continue on pretty much unchanged, other than briefly experimenting with the burning question we all have of what if Glenn Reynolds was a television personality. Richard Fernandez will land on his feat. But Pajamas Media is probably an evolutionary dead end in the evolution of the blogosphere.

Feb 1, 2009 - 12:56 pm 99. Joe:

Sometimes my spelling errors are funny.

Feb 1, 2009 - 12:58 pm 100. Terrye:

fmf:

I think Roger is capable of defending himself, but my understanding is that he sent people emails and then came the announcement. They have two months to make other arrangements.

Perhaps the on the dole comment has something to do with their reaction. I have no idea, but I do recall that when Bush gave money to the auto industry so that their plants would not shut down in a few weeks time and render thousands of people unemployed..a lot of these people seem to think that was too generous. After all, if you lose a job..you lose a job. That’s capitalism. Right?

Feb 1, 2009 - 12:59 pm 101. Terrye:

Joe:

I like Jeff at PW, but when was he not having a fit about something? It is his default. In fact he has been threatening to quit forever.

Feb 1, 2009 - 1:03 pm 102. sookie:

I’ll my voice to those unimpressed with PJTV. I cruise the blogs at work to keep up with what’s going on, can’t watch the videos…. and honestly I mostly don’t want to. I read transcripts occasionally.

Feb 1, 2009 - 1:30 pm 103. fmfnavydoc:

Terrye – since we don’t know the entire story, if PJ ads was having money issues with, did Roger talk with them throughout the process? It seemed like Jeff, Ace and others were taken by surprise about this – if Roger had been communicating with them well before his announcement, it would have given them options on looking for support.

Yes, I understand capitalism. I’ve been unemployed before…and I’m sure that the blogs are not the only means of support for those that are affected. I just seems like parties on both sides were not talking and planning for instances like this. I just don’t want to see good people have to give up something they enjoy doing. Some will fade away, and some will suspend blogging until things get better for themselves…It just seems like this could have been handled better…

Feb 1, 2009 - 2:26 pm 104. cfbleachers:

I came to the game in the middle innings, so I can’t profess to know what happened before.

I sit in the bleachers, not on the field…so, I can’t claim to play any significant role in how the game is played.

I have not the faintest clue as to how to take this medium and make it profitable.

All I know, what I fervently believe…is that there are voices that need to be heard. When the information stream is kidnapped and and gangraped somebody must form the resistance and fight for its honor.

Warehousing a place for the common good, a safe haven and a welcoming port of entry is a brilliant concept that should be kept alive. Nobody alone should shoulder that burden, not if it is indeed a place for common advancement of honorable ideals.

Internal squabbling and finger pointing leaves the antagonist assholes above smirking in delight as they relish their stolen sophistry.

Jeff and Dan have value, Bob Owens has value, Ed and Hot Air have value, Glenn has value, Ace has value, the Anchoress has value, Bill Whittle has value etc. And Roger along with PJM itself …they have value.

It would seem to me that finding a way to achieve common goals is of universal benefit to this overall movement to restore the stolen honor and integrity of our kidnapped and gang raped informaton stream.

But again, I don’t have a name on my uniform, I don’t even have a uniform and haven’t grabbed a bat to take my swings. I’m just sitting in the bleachers making notes in my scorecard. For what it was worth…I have loved and treasured all of you. You are the heroes on the field. I just don’t want to watch you fight with each other in the dugout. I am but one fan, lost in a sea of of anonymous faces…that you don’t hear applauding loud enough, often enough. Set your ears to the wind, you can still hear us cheering and I will be standing in ovation, out in your centerfield bleachers. Play on. The game has not ended. Play on. For those of us that you inspire, play on.

Together, somehow…play on.

Feb 2, 2009 - 3:53 am 105. BumperStickerist:

Lynn@91
-

I make a distinction between people trying to figure out how to make a buck via “new media” on their own, compared to what Roger and Charles cobbled together as a business venture/paying hobby.

Dennis the Peasant has a tendentious, but accurate, summation of how PJM ignored the signs and threw itself onto the shoals.

Also, there’s a difference between “not knowing” and disregarding. Roger disregarded.

Fwiw, my starting point is this: PJM blew through $900,000 – in an online world where the storage is cheap, the overhead can be low, and talent available.

… and the answer to your question is that Rush (go figure) went into the web business only after he figured out how he could make money doing it.

-

Feb 2, 2009 - 6:55 am 106. BMoon:

I second all cfbleachers said, with the addition that perhaps within all the acrimonious whinging in the above posts there are buried a few gems of sound business advice. You hits some shoals or coral. Let it knock a few barnacles off and keep sailing, Roger. We’re with you.

Feb 2, 2009 - 10:44 am 107. Pajamas Media dumps blogger ad network, going “television” | the 941:

[...] Roger Simon wrote this to them: I wrote a letter to the Pajamas Media network bloggers yesterday, some of whom took it a [...]

Feb 2, 2009 - 11:29 am 108. Ratatosk:

Having been involved in a number of sites and forums and web games since the inception of the http://WWW... I have to say that the ad revenue route has only ever appeared profitable in Huge corporate situations like Google or in scam sites where users are tricked to click on ads that look like useful links.

For small and medium sized sites, even in Web 2.0, I think Tip Jars and direct contributions are the only option for making money. The overhead is near 0 and the annoyance factor of the ads are gone (Dunno about you, but I have never seen an ad on PJmedia… I block all ads.) Also, it allows the consumer to determine the value of the product and contribute accordingly… which provides good feedback to the content owners.

The only other option is paid subscriptions for access to private content and services (maybe forums or chat etc). I dunno if this path would work for PJMedia though, since it seems more focused on accessible communication.

I hope your contributors recoginize the constraints of the medium.

Feb 2, 2009 - 1:20 pm 109. Another Blog Casualty: Conservative Pajamas Media Ad Network Shutting Down | Peter Kafka | MediaMemo | AllThingsD:

[...] Media itself isn’t shutting down, CEO Roger L. Simon, explains in a post — it will be concentrating instead on its PajamasTV video site. I’d show you a clip, [...]

Feb 3, 2009 - 8:42 am 110. BizzyBlog » Things I’d Like to Post About Today ….. (Afternoon, Round 1):

[...] (Jeff Goldstein has Roger Simon’s e-mail and his own reax here), and Roger Simon’s follow-up post at PJM. I have four comments: First, I made virtually nothing from their ads, and I’m not [...]

Feb 3, 2009 - 11:51 am 111. Steve:

Guess right-wing blogging is out in the age of Obama and the downfall of Fox News.

Feb 7, 2009 - 1:31 pm

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