This past Sunday, upon my return from a much needed vacation, I found that I had received several communications wondering if TWIS was cancelled. Not understanding where the rumor had started, and a bit confused from my recent sun, surf, and sand infusion, I investigated.
It turns out the rumors are both true and untrue, as rumors will tend to be.
The rumors were probably ignited when the TWIS.org website went down sometime within the past two weeks. I wasn’t aware of the problem until my return, and fixed it as soon as I was able. For those interested, something triggered Apache service on the server to shut off. Simple problem, but a pain since I wasn’t around to fix it.
Then, rumblings began about a week ago about Leo saying that TWIS was cancelled. I spoke with Lisa Kentzell, CEO of TWiT.tv, today about the topic, and was informed that TWiT is restructuring. Part of the restructuring involves no longer supporting 3rd party shows, of which TWIS is one. As many of you already know, TWIS is my program, and actually predates TWiT by several years. Technically, TWiT cannot cancel TWIS. They can, however, remove it from their schedule… which they have done.
So, what does this news mean for TWIS and all of you minions? The answer is that I don’t really know yet. I am considering options for continuing to broadcast TWIS on my own. Google+ offers a possible platform through which TWIS might easily and seamlessly continue. Alternatively, I might consider other platforms like Justin.tv and UStream.tv. I have Wirecast and can use it. We might think about moving to another network. Or, there is always the possibility that this signals the end for TWIS.
I have made no decisions yet, and would love your feedback and advice. TWIS is nothing without you! Whatever we do, I want it to be the best decision for the entire community.
For the time being, TWIS will continue to air on TWiT.tv on Thursday evenings at 7:30pm PT. We will probably do our last show on the TWiT network within the month of July. You will be kept in the loop, so expect to hear more from me here and on all the social networks where we have a presence.
TWiT has been an amazing home for TWIS over the past couple of years. The entire team at TWiT has been supportive and helpful in ways that can’t ever be quantified or, for that matter, paid back properly. I want to thank Leo for giving us a place in TWiT.tv’s lineup for so long, and everyone else for the hours of work that went in to making the show happen (especially our trainee engineers 
. From the bottom of my heart, I wish the very best to TWiT.
–Kirsten
aka. Dr. Kiki
I'm the host of this little science show. 
Man, I had a bad feeling when I started to hear about this “restructuring” stuff. I find it hard to believe that twit is losing money, or absolutely NEEDS to cut shows, but whatever.
I really, REALLY hope you guys keep doing TWIS! It’s a great source of science news and commentary, and I’d hate to see it disappear after going on for so long.
You guys could always go a bit low-tech and do the production bits yourselves and upload to youtube. Lots of people do 2-person skype calls that they make into YT vids.
I hope you find a way to continue, you’re show is awesome.
Im so upset i can hardly express… Arrg! there we go. I would like to offer any assistance I can, I am a Network Administrator, Programmer, and amateur producer (inspired by your podcast).
In addition I am a very efficient researcher and can find you information on any topic you request of me. Please don’t hesitate to ask, it would be my Honor to help your show.
@AD7QA
–George
Talk to the guys at 5by5. They put out some great stuff
TWiT’s CEO may call this move ‘restructuring,’ but Leo made it pretty clear on the live stream that the 3rd-party shows would no longer be broadcast on the network because they were underperforming. Since I discovered TWIS through the TWiT network, it is sad to hear that the audience is not large enough for the show to stay on TWiT. But, the heart of the show is not the professional switching or the fancy set. The heart of the show are the content, and, of course, you, Dr. Kiki. So, if you decide to continue with the show, in whichever format/content delivery system you choose, I, and I suspect many others, will be here to watch/listen. We may be a small audience, but we are a passionate one!
It’s a bit wrong to criticize but it would have been much nicer to hear it for yourself BEFORE we did.
We will follow you and TWIS wherever you broadcast. Just broadcast!
We need you to broadcast. We have raised our kids to enjoy science. And its your podcasts and shows which encourage us parents to keep introducing new topics for scientific discussions.
TWIS is such a fun program. There are no twit fun programs that are live at night. They are missing the night niche. I can’t watch live during the day except for weekends. I will watch TWIS wherever it is streamed. TWIS is unique programming.
That’s too bad, TWIS was the only show I ever listened to on the TWIT network. I hope it finds a new home even if it is on ustream or vimeo as an independent show. Best science podcast ever. Minion for life!
Whatever your decision I will back you. I very much prefer you to keep the show going and I for one will follow and watch/listen wherever you may go. I do not know what the best platform may be to move to but iTune, Google+, and Justin TV are all excellent mediums to use.
Are you guys still on KDVS? If not, could you possibly return there?
I will continue to listen to, hopefully watch, and support TWIS, on whatever platform it’s on. Lowtech or high tech doesn’t make any difference to me. I know your science chat is on G+ on Friday afternoon, which I haven’t been able to make. Perhaps an G+ afternoon/night video/audio chat, at whatever time is most convenient for you, to agument, or serve as, your KDVS broadcast.
I am greatful to you for rekindling my interest in science. I will remain a minion whatever the future holds for TWIS.
As a biochemistry grad student, I don’t have time to keep up with other areas of science. What I can do is listen to TWiS and DrKiki’s Science Podcast while I’m at the bench. Find a way to continue, please. I remember watching the videos of their “wonderful new studios” with my husband. We both questioned not only the need for such an expensive setup but the consequences of spending that much money in a period of economic depression. I will personally do whatever I can to help TWiS continue.
PLEASE keep TWIS going! Any help you need please send an email. Whether it’s work or financial to keep it going.
Hello Dr. Kiki,
I don’t know how much it matters, but I do want to tell you that I love your shows and would love to see them survive these rough waters. I listen to your shows often in an offline setting (iTunes). I am not sure how much the TWiT decision impacts you financially or technologically but I wish you the very best in saving the show.
@John, from what I’ve gathered this isn’t about TWiT loosing money. Leo and Lisa have been wanting to restructure the schedule for quite some time. And I agree. I’ve always felt there should have been a more structured programming available. For example I would have scheduled TWIS, Science Hour and Futures in Biotech on the same day. TWiT Photo and Trey’s Variety hour on another day. Radio Tech, TWiCH, Ham Nation on yet another one and so on.
@Dr. Kiki I’m very sorry to hear about TWiS being removed from the line up. I have a question that I hope doesn’t cross any lines. Has the possibility ever come up of you actually having Leo take ownership of TWiS and having it officially become a TWiT product? Science Hour and Science Chat could then be your side projects.
To answer your question though I vote going the Google+ route. Trey’s Variety Hour uses the Google+ Hangout and it gets pushed out to Youtube for even larger audience. I think TWiS would work very well with that option.
Hoping you find another local. I heart TWIS. Have been watching live, but more than happy to download from whatever new home you find.
I really hope you all can keep this thing going! I’ve been listening for a while via podcast and love it!
Please let us know what we the listeners can do to help.
Let’s get them some donations in people!
I really hope to see the show continue. My $0.02… any of those platforms are good, so long as you record the show and still release as a podcast.
Also, will DKSH and Science News Weekly be continuing?
Oh and I hope you and your family had a great vacation!
I can’t believe twit.tv is removing your show, I thought they had just altered the schedule.
Leo should at least advise how to help you keep running if you want to, will you keep the sponsor?
I prefer the ustream feed to watch live over Justin tv. Or will you go to podcast only And everyone find you again in iTunes. Good luck with keeping things running. Not news you want to come back from a vacation and find out.
Glad I read your tweet now.
Last thing I heard from Leo On-Air was that they wanted to make TWIS an official TWiT Podcast… I guess things can change fast, or maybe it just didn’t work out as planned. Whatever the reason, I wouldn’t want to miss my weekly dose of science news
Or even just go back to only audio if that makes it easier on you guys. I’m a mostly audio listener at this point, and hope TWIS doesn’t go away. I find it an incredible resource to keeps me pretty up to date.
Here’s to hoping for a long future for TWIS.
Maybe Leo will start looking for less derivative programming and restore TWIS. I hope you find a great forum to continue your fantastically original science show. On a selfish note, YouTube would be a great choice for people who stream science shows to their televisions via media centers. Dr. Nels Lindahl
Please continue with your broadcast if only as a podcast. (I listen to the audio only so it wouldn’t bother me any if it was only radio.) The show means a great deal to me! I am a librarian at an elementary school that has now earned the reputation as “knowing cool stuff about science” and I could not have done that without you. I listen to your podcast as I shelve books then share what I learn with my kids. I have seen a dramatic increase in the kid’s interest in sciency things since I started sharing info with them. They all want to know what Mrs. Ferguson has learned. Please, please if not for me think of the kids! :0)
This is terrible news! With what might I fill my head, if not a weekly dose of science? Keep up the great work — we’ll follow you wherever you end up.
I’ve heard of this company called Squarespace, they do great webhosting. When I signed up with them I used the coupon “drkiki” (without quotes) and saved some money. Highly recommended.
I noticed that the option of going to KDVS every tuesday morning and doing it live in studio again wasn’t listed in the options. Guess Justin’s shins will be safe a little longer.
As for TWIT not having enough income, when a company burns through $1000+/hour they need to have some hefty income to cover those expenses.
Oh, no way. Worst news I’ve had all week.
I’ve been listening to TWIS for so many years, since it was on KDVS on Tuesday mornings at 8:30 — before podcasting! And now it’s my favorite podcast (and I listen to about a dozen). Please don’t stop now!
You could totally do it as an audio-only podcast at next to no cost, right?
Please don’t stop doing TWIS!
I consume TWIS as a podcast, and would not miss the video stream, or even live broadcast.
I will continue to listen to, hopefully watch, and support TWIS, on whatever platform it’s on. Lowtech or high tech doesn’t make any difference to me. I know your science chat is on G+ on Friday afternoon, which I haven’t been able to make. Perhaps an G+ afternoon/night video/audio chat, at whatever time is most convenient for you, to agument, or serve as, your KDVS broadcast.
I am greatful to you for rekindling my interest in science. I will remain a minion whatever the future holds for TWIS.
Jeremy Faulkner beat me to it. When you guys were in the studio together I always enjoyed trying to work out exactly when Justin received a set of Hush Puppies in the shins. And don’t be afraid about having a minion call to arms to raise support for you two wherever you head next.
You could probably save a lot of expense by not doing video at all. I listen to these shows on my MP3 player and do not feel I am missing anything. HD video of talking heads is still awfully boring television, but can make great radio when the topic is interesting (as yours always are)
This is not true for a photography show, and some product demos, but otherwise I think Leo spent an awful lot of money on facilities for shows that work just fine as radio.
Make a kickstarter project for TWIS. Set a donation target goal to keep the show going. You’ll get it.
I found your show with Justin via your DKSH show on Twit and really liked it, more than DKSH actually. You and Justine play off each other nicely and always bring the knowledge and the fun sci factoids. Its an amazing show and I hope you can find a way to do it IF you are still enjoying and want to. And audio is fine… video is a nice version of it, but if audio is all you guys can do, do that!
Thanks for many years of sci, and Good Luck in your next chapters!
I have never viewed a twis episode but have been listening in podcast form for sometime. I never felt the need for the video. A simple audio podcast would do the trick. Less to edit with all of the disclaimer still intact.
I started listening to TWIS in the early 00′s, when there weren’t any podcasts to speak of. I had a Japanese colleague who had rigged up his computer to automatically record from KDVS’s live stream! When TWIT took on TWIS as a show, I was nervous about what would happen to my favorite show. But I had become a TWIT listener so I was optimistic that Laporte and gang would be good for TWIS in the long run, bringing experience and knowledge of old media.
This news took me completely by surprise. I understand business is business but I also feel, business-wise, TWIS was the one taking the risk as a successful show associating itself with a network that could drop it at any time but, less obviously, diluting the TWIS name by getting on a newer network with a similar name. (That dilution showed as newer listeners in the chat room were often under the impression that TWIS was a TWIT show and expecting the same format, sometimes even insulting the show: “When did TWIT start this stuff?”) I hope the association has been beneficial for TWIS. In the end, TWIS can continue without those twits.
This became an unintended rant about TWIT; The bottom line is: I remain a faithful minion and will support he show in whatever format until WORLD ROBOT DOMINATION!
I sincerely hope you find an alternative way to keep this going. I hate the thought of it going away for good.
I thinks Twis is a great, fun and informative show! I mostly listen to the podcast, but I certainly hope you can find a way to keep it going.
Actually, I would never have heard about the TWIT network without TWIS. Part of the so-called underperformance on TWIT might be the fixed time. Like many long-term listeners, I’m not in a timezone where live-watching is very appealing. I’ve been a podcast follower for years, and am actually hoping for more science compilation CDs to buy for support (although the fixed intro-outro kinda bites in the selection for that lately).
P.S. Are you taking the bricks with you?
I’m with the others that have mentioned going back to audio-downloads only to save time, effort, and expense. Personally, the audio has always had what i needed, and I can never manage to just sit and listen/watch “live” at a prescribed time, so downloading the audio to listen to later while working has always been my preference.
I’m ALSO with the others who would be sad if TWIS disappeared entirely, so I hope you can keep it going!
I’ve been enjoying TWiS long before it was pulled in to TWiT, and I hope long after it has left. I think going back to KDVS would be a great idea (oh how I miss Justin’s GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING KIRSTEN!” opening).
Please keep it alive if you can.
I’ve been an active listener and watcher of both TWIT and TWiS since at east 2005. Of course your show and you are so unique.
One can not help but to root for Leo and his network, but I am beginning to fear that the same cost pressures that doomed Tech TV will also become the anvil around TWIT.tv’s neck as well. I believe that either Leo or Lisa stated that it cost $1,000 an hour to produce a TWIT show and that is not including the ‘talent’ and I would guess – I don’t know this – that it is with 1099 employees.
Three years ago, It is hard to believe that $1,000 an hour production cost would be considered expensive, but I guess with the changes in technology and advertising and a very special nich audience that this is true.
I can’t help but think that Google+ Hangouts with its syndication to YouTube is ‘part’ of the way to the future. I am not sure that all the pieces are there yet but it seems like another podcast revaluation is upon us.
Again Dr. Kiki, if you require any help in the future with this transition do not be hesitant to ask myself or your many fans
Why don’ t you make a proposition to Yahoo . They could give you a chance or a regional tv station? You could do Live YouTube . YouTube chooses some people to broadcast LIVE . There is an laternative site called BlogTV http://www.blogtv.com
I don’t know your numbers, so it’s difficult to provide reasoned feedback. I also don’t know what your ambition is for TWIS, so it’s difficult to weigh the available options.
My ad hoc reaction: 1) choose a near-term format that limits labor and expense, 2) network with other science/skeptic podcasts to grow the audience, 3) revise the website to make it more timely, accessible, and easy to maintain.
Some options: Become your own brand by supporting other science podcasters under the TWIS domain (a great way to encourage young talent). Create a 15m stand-alone segment (similar to “Dr. Kiki’s Science News”) that educators can use in a classroom setting and other podcasts could “syndicate.” Pitch YouTube on becoming a sponsored content provider (5by5 was also a good suggestion). There are endless potential strategies – the question is where do YOU want it to go?
I eagerly followed TWIS before it was on TWiT, and will to continue do so, whatever form it takes. You guys are terrific and have much bigger, brighter days ahead.
It’s not personal Its just business , right?…. Mr Laporte is laying down the law saying that any show that doesn’t make money is going by-by… But that is not true, is it?… Anyway that’s neither here nor there. When your the big cheese you can do as you please…($$$)… I hope the show continues in some form… In any case, thank you so much… For showing us how science can enrich our lives and inspire us to not think about gadgets all the time…
Dismay!!! Dismay!!! Dismay!!!
))
If you cut the show I’ll drink a whole bottle of homoeopathic remedy – On your heads be it!
Perhaps A.FM Radio can offer you a home, although that would just be audio it’s better than nothing. And then there’s always Google+ Hangouts which Fraser Cain is using very successfully and it’s convenient for guests to join in.
I really hope you, Justin and Blair decide to keep this fun, informal in informative show going.
TWiS is the only show on the internet and even considering all shows on TV that I would ever need to watch live every week. It’s the best, and it’s great to watch discussion on science like that, because all of my irl friends are dummies who don’t care about science.
Please continue these video podcasts w/ a chatroom forever. It keeps me sane.
I think Google+ hangout would be an excellent place for TWiS. I Hope it continues.
I truly hope you work it out.
One man’s opinion:
Try audio only for now or just a simple short topic lecture into a webcam.
Put some test files out there for us to consume and see if income can beat expenses.
Things on wishlist: (just throwing ideas)
Science howtos….like howto solar, howto generate electricity…yada yada.
Projects o’ da week… News of course.
Many new markets to develop.
Turn it into an opportunity to try new things.
You are good at this and should keep going.
Pep talk concludes here.
B
Unfortunately, shows under the TWIT umbrella also have to pay for their massive staff and facilities. Leo’s advertising rates start at a high threshold (for a podcast), and he doesn’t seem inclined to advertise TWITs shows outside of TWIT let alone on other TWIT shows. Judging by an impromptu “State of TWIT” talk he did on the air (available at Justin.tv), he’s also very steadfast in his approach to the governance of TWIT going forward, in other words, he’s not changing any time soon.
Please, please, please, don’t go!