He is the Stuph man and he has been the Stuph man for 20+ plus years. Even after his on air gig ended his show and the features that are embedded in it live on via the world of Podcasting. I am speaking about the Stuph File Program and it's host/creator Peter Anthony Holder. Peter has a rare knack for digging up some of the funniest stories and for finding some of the most interesting people to interview on his Podcast. As I mentioned above he has successfully crossed over from the on air studio to the online world and has not only been able to continue telling those odd stories but has been able to bring his regular guests from his former radio show to the online world. I am glad to welcome you Peter to Candid Conversations.
P.A.H: Thanks for having me.
Cliff T.: I think enough has been said about the past re what happened at your former job so I will skip that part. However I do want to know was the decision to bring The Stuph File over to an online form one that took some mulling over or was it an immediate lets go for it decision?
P.A.H: There was no mulling over to be done. I have always had a home studio and always did production from that studio so it was a no-brainer on my part to continue the process. The key was to do something that wasn’t going to be costly, but again, since I had all the equipment there really are no monetary costs, simply time. I have to say that the wonderful world of Skype has been a godsend.
Cliff T.: For the uninitiated can you tell us what is the Stuph File Program is about and who are your regular featured guest on the show?
P.A.H: Well, The Stuph File Program is basically a quirky interview show wrapped up in a collection of odd news or kicker stories. The kind of thing that you don’t normally hear on conventional radio (especially since I’m no longer there!) As for the regular guests, right now there is Steve Walsh, Our Man In The Heart Of America Checking The Pulse Of The Nation who is on the show weekly.
The others, such as Book Banter with Stuart Nulman and items like Andrew Fazekas, “The Night Sky Guy” are less frequent. If the one-hour weekly show becomes more successful and can earn a profit, then I would be interested in doing it more than once a week and if that were possible then I would bring back even more regular features, such as The Gabby Cabby.
Cliff T.: What was your initial reaction to the idea of doing a Podcast and has your view of them changed since you decided to do one?
P.A.H: Well, first of all, although I don’t have any problems with podcasts and the online world, I prefer NOT to refer to the program as a podcast. I did initially because it was only online. But it’s a little more than that now, especially since it is on terrestrial radio in New Zealand and there is the possibility that it could also be on in the UK and other locations as well.
When I first started the show, it was called “The Stuph File Podcast” but now it is merely “The Stuph File Program.” Also, for the most part, podcasts are shorter and don’t necessarily have the radio “bells and whistles” that The Stuph File has. This show is an hour long (actually 56 minutes to allow for commercials) and its production is very similar to what the original radio show was like. And I still work the show on the radio-clock system, so it’s produced very tight in a uniformed time from week to week. Most podcasts don’t have that (one exception is “The Kelly Alexander Show” which I suggest you and your readers check out. Kelly does a fine show and she is also a radio host who dabbles online with an hour-long format).
The show is also heard on CyberStationUSA.com and the folks there actually wanted me to do a two hour show. However I balked at that because I believe online the attention spans are shorter and at an hour I’m already pushing the envelope as far as show length is concerned. I’ve told the folks at CyberStationUSA.com that if we start to turn a profit with this program, I would prefer to do two one-hour shows than one two-hour show, just to give the online audience a breather.
Cliff T.: Do you find it easier to get interviews for the Podcast or is it similar to what you experienced while working on the air?
P.A.H: There really isn’t any difference. I had built up a reputation with the previous show that carries forward to doing this one. As a result the folks that I have to deal with when booking guests have been most accommodating. Also, as time goes on, it is quite possible that the audience I am building here would be even larger than my old radio audience, even though I was on two powerhouse stations in two very big radio markets in the country. Potential guests and their handlers are aware of the audience reach and the savvy online listeners.
Cliff T.: How many people are downloading The Stuph File Program? Did you think you would get as big a response as you have gotten?
P.A.H: Well, the biggest chunk of listeners comes from CyberStationUSA.com. With them I have between 50,000-75,000 listeners per week. The direct downloads from my website can add about another couple of thousand and then there’s iTunes (which I don’t have complete figures for) and the folks who listen to it terrestrially in New Zealand. It’s growing steadily.
Cliff T.: How long does it take to put a show together?
P.A.H: The interviews are done first and they take the real time that it takes to put them together, usually about eight to ten minutes. I don’t really count recording them as part of the time it takes to put the show together. When I have the elements ready, it’s then the writing of The Stuph File and the recording of the show. I would say, conservatively speaking, the time to put all that together would be in the neighbourhood of about three hours. It could be more because I like to tinker, audio-wise, it could be less if everything goes smoothly and I’m on a roll.
Cliff T.: Do you try to go for a theme during the show or does that happen as you produce the show?
P.A.H: Rarely do I try to go with a theme. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. For instance, I did one show that dealt with soap operas. I just happened to have a major soap star booked and another soap related topic came up so I put them in the same show, but that wasn’t the initial plan. I just try to put together an eclectic kind of show that has a little bit of everything to give it a bit of variety.
Cliff T.:Has any of your recent guests on the show inspired you? Or, to put it in another way who or what helped you decide to move into Podcasting? And has the experience of doing a Podcast changed your view of media? If so how?
P.A.H: Well, Mitch Joel was the first guest we had on The Stuph File Program because he is a major blogger and is really into the podcast world, but beyond that I can’t say anyone else. My view of the media hasn’t changed, because I’ve been aware of the online world and the social media world as it has developed so it’s not like it was a foreign entity to me before I started doing the show online.
Cliff T.: Peter does it feel the same as being on the air if so how? Or, alternately how does it differ from being on the air?
P.A.H: Outside of the fact that I don’t do the show live; there really isn’t any difference in how the show sounds or how it feels. I purposely designed the show that way so it’s just merely a continuation of what I did over the airwaves.
Cliff T.: They say radio is in the blood, are you planning a return to the studio? Or, have you decided to leave radio and pursue other career goals?
P.A.H: Again, I don’t feel that this is any different from radio, so I don’t feel I’ve left it behind. I’m still in a studio. Just one that is at home. (And there was a period of about six weeks after a surgery that I had that I did the radio show from my home studio, so a studio is wherever a mic and a board exists). I’m quite happy doing The Stuph File Program and will continue to do it, regardless of what the future might hold elsewhere.
Cliff T.: Peter I want to thank you gain for taking time out in your busy schedule to speak through e-mail about The Stuph File Program. Your listeners new and old including myself wish all the success to you as you move forward with the show. Thanks for keeping the stuph coming.
P.A.H: Thank you.
Cliff T.:Peter Anthony Holder is the creator and host of the Stuph File Program. The podcast is produced in Montreal Quebec Canada under the production name of Flying Fish Communications. The Stuph File Program website address is www.thestuphfile.com You can download the podcast from this site and also via Itunes.
For more information about the show and Peter check out the following links
Peter's Blog Holder's Stuph File
http://twitter.com/PAHolder is Peter's Twitter address
And for those who fancy the use of Facebook Peter's page
