I haven’t written many blogs lately. It seems Facebook and Twitter have replaced my need to blog. I do enter a synopsis of each week’s Outdoor Magazine Radio show rundown here, but other than that my blog has been pretty slow.

However, I do think blogging is a great venue to explore an issue or topic in-depth, and there’s been something on my mind lately I need to talk about.

I’ve been in the outdoor television business now for about twenty five years. I started doing outdoor reports back when I worked in the news department at WNEM TV5 in Saginaw, Michigan. Those segments were called “News5 Outdoors” and they were extremely popular with local viewers. Based on that response I started producing quarterly half hour “specials”, which eventually led to monthly shows and the opportunity to leave the tv station and start my own company to produce a weekly program. That program was called “Outdoor Magazine”.

At first, Outdoor Magazine aired on TV5 and several other Michigan broadcast stations. Eventually it was added to the schedule of a new network called the Outdoor Channel. Outdoor Magazine later moved to the now defunct MOR network and eventually ended up at the very popular Sportsman Channel. In addition to Sportsman, the show still airs on the Michigan broadcast stations, including WNEM where it all began more than two decades ago.

About seventeen or eighteen years ago I expanded the Outdoor Magazine franchise by starting a one hour radio show by the same name for a local AM station. After several years that show was picked up and syndicated by the “also now defunct” Michigan Talk Radio Network where it aired as a two hour program.

Eventually the show migrated over the more viable Michigan Radio Network and expanded to a three hour format. The Outdoor Magazine radio show continues to air on that network across nineteen AM and FM stations in Michigan, as well as a very popular podcast version of the program on Itunes, the Outdoor Magazine website, facebook page and several other websites.

By all accounts my career in outdoor media has been quite successful. I’ve received lots of positive feedback from viewers and listeners, won many awards over the years from a variety of organizations and the audience continues to grow. Even so, I believe it’s time to make some changes.

The world of outdoor television has changed a lot since I started, especially in the past few years. Producing an outdoor tv show used to be special…it was a challenge few people had the expertise or equipment to accomplish. That’s all changed. Today high quality video cameras and editing systems cost a fraction of what they used to. As a result, there are more outdoor tv producers and networks than ever.

Those factors have resulted in a glut of outdoor programming. Many of the shows on the air these days are outstanding. In fact, I’m confident there are more high quality outdoor programs than ever. Some of the other shows are lacking in quality production techniques. That’s to be expected, everybody has to learn a skill. Unfortunately in television that learning curve is more visible than most other businesses. I have noticed recently though that a growing number of viewers aren’t as concerned with quality as in the past. I think You Tube and the proliferation of “amateur” video available on the web has changed viewer standards.

The hunting and fishing industries are solid and healthy, but not exempt from the pressures of business today. Many companies have cut back on their advertising budgets, or at least shifted some of those funds into new areas and personalities. As a result there are a growing number of tv producers looking for funding from companies that are inundated with sponsorship proposals.

I’ve been lucky in that regard. I have a solid group of companies that I’ve partnered with for many years. They have been very loyal in their support of Outdoor Magazine and I am very loyal to them as well.

Still, I can’t get rid of the feeling that it’s time make some changes.

In my case it’s more than a feeling. I believe God is moving me in a new direction, and that path doesn’t include TV.

2011 is the last year I’ll produce the Outdoor Magazine television show. In fact, the transition has already started. For the first time in more than twenty years the show is not airing year round on a national network. Outdoor Magazine will be back on Sportsman Channel in the third and fourth quarters, and it continues to air weekly on my broadcast stations, but that will end with the new year.

Starting in 2012 my focus will be entirely on my radio show and podcast.

This was not an easy decision to make. Television has been part of my entire adult life and I’m sure some part of me will miss it. However, with the continued strong growth of the radio side of my business I’m confident this is a very good move.

The potential of Outdoor Magazine radio really started to hit home when I looked at the numbers. I can reach more people, with less expense and fewer hours worked on radio than tv. The best part is I really love radio.

I’m not going to sit back and coast during this last season of Outdoor Magazine tv though. I’ve got several good shows in the works, including a wolf hunt in northern Ontario where I battled temperatures as low as -40F to take this beautiful animal.

Ontario Wolf

I do plan to reach into the archives occasionally and use some of my old material from days gone by. I probably won’t find anything to rival the interview I did with the legendary Fred Bear back in the mid eighties though.

Many people consider me a veteran in the world of outdoor broadcasters and I guess that’s true. I’ve been able to survive because I’ve been willing to change and adapt. This latest move is just one more example of that.

I’m currently working on several projects to grow the Outdoor Magazine radio show and podcast. Don’t be surprised if my gray haired face shows up on some other outdoor tv shows too.

I’ll keep you informed about what I’m up to, but don’t look for that news here on the blog, I’ll probably announce it on facebook and twitter.