As I’ve discussed previously both here and here, The Talk Show leaving 5BY5 has caused some commotion within the tech pundit listener circles of the internet (perhaps these are quite small but still it’s a circle I dwell in). To wrap up my final thoughts on this, I would firstly direct the reader to listen to Episode 2 of The (newer) Talk Show and specifically to 29:45 where John Gruber divulges that it was a long-standing business disagreement with Dan Benjamin that ultimately ended their partnership on air.

In typical Gruber fashion it was short and to the point and that is all that he will say about it. Frankly I’m surprised that he said anything at all.

I’ve given the new show a listen (two episodes so far) and can honestly say that the show will not be as popular as it was on the 5BY5 network if the current format continues. Gruber tends to ramble about all sorts of topics that are of interest to him and what Dan Benjamin did was to focus him on what the listeners generally wanted to hear him talk about. With Gruber at the helm the only check and balance are his hand-picked co-hosts, it seems unlikely they will push him on the “right stuff” to talk about.

Grubers ad-reading skills need some work for sponsors (then again I may have been spoiled by Dan’s exemplary work at 5BY5) and he is largely relying on his internet profile to draw in listeners as a ‘directors commentary on Daring Fireball’.

Having said all of that finally I have the epiphany: it isn’t about the success of the show for Gruber anymore - he loves doing the show and loves doing it his way and that’s all that matters to him. It’s unfortunate that that’s not all that matter to us, the listeners.