“What do you do #ForLove?”
I know there are a lot of things you’d list off at the top of your head. But does ‘podcasting’ come to mind? For the people of Channelfourteen.com (CH14), yes it does. ChannelFourteen.com is a local podcast network (a.k.a. a website different podcasts) that’s doing podcasting on topics like Linux, video games, and other things.
Channelfourteen.com was founded on August 2013 by two friends: A.G. and Joao. Its first podcast was Third World Linux, a show that talked about Linux…in the Third World (what did you expect?). Since then, channelfourteen.com spawned off more podcasts: Bodega Nights, Third World Gaming and the Sun Star Podcast. I got a chance to meet with Joao and A.G. To talk about Third World Linux, the other podcasts and #ForLove.
Joao and A.G. = Founders of ChannelFourteen.com
Q: When did you guys decide to make a podcast?
Joao: “We were bored, broke and unemployed and we feel like we aren’t doing anything with our lives *laughs*. One day, out the blue, we said ‘hey let’s make a podcast!’. I like talking. A.G. likes talking. The greatest things happen, and conversely the worse, when you’re bored, broke and unemployed. Unless A.G. has a better answer…”
A.G.: “Two friends are bored, so we might as well talk. He’s in Cebu, I’m in Manila, and this gives us an excuse to talk to each other at least once a week. We’ve always been ‘oh let’s record our conversation’, and what’s a good platform for that…a podcast. And that’s how it started.”
Joao: “Yeah, pretty much, because of technology. It was something we could do. Given the lack of resources, like we don’t have a good camera but we have a microphone, we decided to record stuff.”
A.G.: “Thank you iPhone recorder. *laughs* As for the topic, we decided to talk about Linux since we are both passionate about it. For me, Linux is easy on your system and your software. We don’t need much and you don’t have to pay for anything. But at its core, it’s [Third World Linux] just two friends talking to each other. That’s why you get the off-tangent segment at the end of the show. We got the main show was just to keep things together because it’s something we are passionate about, which was Linux.”
Q: You mentioned something about using an iPhone recorder for the first few episodes. Can you take us through your podcast’s humble beginnings?
A.G.: “In the first few episodes, I was recording through the mic of my iPhone while Joao was using a CD-R King mic. Granted, it wasn’t a top quality mic but it worked. Joao does all the audio editing of the podcasts through this software called audacity. Eventually we saved up and invested on our mics for recording our podcasts on channelfourteen.com. Right now I have a Samsung Boom Mic and Joao has a AT2020 something. I got my mic for less than 2k pesos and I think his is about 4k or so but hey, sound investment, right?”
Q: The very first podcast, and the longest running podcast you have on the site, is called Third World Linux. How did you guys decide on the name?
Joao: “While the correct term for our country should be “Developing Country”, Third World Linux sounds catchier. We can also use the term Third World as a third person, I guess.”
A.G.: “It’s a sort of word play as well, Linux is pretty much the third OS in everyone’s list. There’s no malice in using the term “Third World”, it’s just pure fun.”
Q: Is there any back story to the name ChannelFourteen.com?
Joao: “Because we have 3 big networks on TV. If you add them up together…7+5+2 = 14. It’s all about the numerology of it.”
A.G.: “Also, 14 is a very significant number for us because of a flurry of inside jokes.”
Joao: “Like there’s a Vandals song about the number, but…we don’t wanna encourage that. Y’know, we don’t wanna encourage bad behavior.”
A.G.: “How we coined it was that it’s an Internet Broadcast Network. The dream is to run it like we’re running a network station, but the platform is on the internet. All of the things we ambition it to be is centered around the site. It gives us an excuse to do things and go ahead and DO IT. It’s a ‘non name’ too, depends on what you want.”
Q: What were your technical and logistical problems and how did you overcome them?
Joao: “The logistical issues were quite obvious, mainly the 4 thousand peso plane ticket and the fact that I’m living in Cebu and he’s living here in Manila. That’s the biggest logistical issue with 3rd World Linux. We get together on google hangouts to record an episode when there’s time. We also have that technical problem with having no decent internet connection.”
A.G.: “The slow internet connection. That’s the BIGGEST technical issue we have in this country. That’s something that’s out of our control. The slow net connection is the reason why there might be delays in putting out our latest episodes and whatnot.”
Joao: “There’s also real life playing part of the problems of us not getting to record. I have law school. A.G. might be in out of the country for his photography, and other situations that we cannot control.”
A.G.: “But at the end of the day, we overcome it by sheer WILL POWER! We just do it. The easy part is just getting off your ass and doing it. The sucky part is the actual ‘red tape’ you have to go through (internet problems, etc) and the learning part might be steep but achievable.”
Joao: “We also have these backup episodes just in case we can’t get a hold of the other during the week to record a new episode.”
A.G.: “Yeah. Like ‘let’s record 4 episodes in ONE day!’ *laughs*“
go to the next page to read MORE of this interview with Joao and A.G.
