Please help keep Norm & NYW on the air

[Loren Blount]

The New Yankee Workshop website is airing the first episode of the NYW on a trial basis to evaluate if there is enough interest to keep airing old episodes. I am including a link to leave a comment in support of this. Hopefully we can help keep the NYW broadcasting in one fashion or another. I know some don't care for Norm, but countless woodworkers decided to start into the craft because of his strait forward approach to building projects, myself included. Keeping the show going will hopefully give a new generation the confidence to start woodworking.


http://www.newyankee.com/fanmail/mail_submit.php
http://www.newyankee.com/online.php

Thanks Loren

[Fred Voorhees]

Loren, I have already done so and am proud to do such a thing. You are correct, a very many woodworkers got their inspiration for the craft by first watching Norm and saying.......hey, I might be able to do that.

[Rick Moyer]

done! Hopefully they will keep them going.

[Brandon Weiss]

I just learned about the online vidoes and watched the first one yesterday. What a change Norm has gone through! I didn't email though so i just followed your link to do so Loren. Excellent post. I hope they keep the NYW online videos goin' for a long time. I watched Norm as a kid long before I turned on a tool. Now that I'm finally devoting some time and effort to the woodworkng craft, I'm sad to see his show go off the air. It is nice that they are continuing to service their fans through the website. I have a lot of episodes to go before I've seen them all.

Favorite NYW episode so far: The Roll Top Desk - Item 9812

[Shawn Christ]

Done. Great idea and thanks for the post.

[Russ Jensen]

Norm not only builds neat projects but has probably sparked tons of power tool sales from his " and we'll make that cut on my super widget 5000" I love him, my wife probably hates him :)

[Roger Bullock]

It's all about the buck today. PBS get more viewers from a garden show or a cooking show that it does from woodworkers. More viewers means more donations so they go where they get more return on their investment. Sad for us but true.

[Dave Gaul]

I sent an email to NYW... made a suggestion to have Norm's shows available as a digital download as an option... and maybe for a fee a few dollars less than his DVD's...

[Richard Wagner]

What a slick way to develop a current mailing list that targets only potential customers.

Yes, it has my name on it!

[Rod Sheridan]

Loren, I'm not a big Norm fan, however I do enjoy watching him and appreciate his efforts at promoting this hobby.

I went to the website you linked and left comments requesting that other episodes be made available.

I also phoned WNED in Buffalo (I'm a donor) and TVO (TV Ontario) another public broadcaster that I donate to, requesting more wood working shows.

I only hope they don't get the one with those three guys who were showing you how a table saw works. I'd like to see something more advanced, or just bring back Roy Underhill.

Thanks for starting this process.............Regards, Rod.

[Peter Kuhlman]

Another who added the request to keep broadcasting and for a DVD with multiple episodes.

[John F. Snyder]

I just left a message at the NYW site encouraging the continuation of posting the old episodes. Hopefully, the apparent decline in woodworking interest is temporary.

[Glenn Clabo]

I wrote a note to encourage more.

And Norm actually replied instantly to my email! ;)

"Thanks, and as always, work safely.
Norm"

What a man...

[Scott Vigder]

I wrote a note to encourage more.

And Norm actually replied instantly to my email! ;)

"Thanks, and as always, work safely.
Norm"

What a man...

Hey, that's the same thing he told me!

[Brian Effinger]

I only hope they don't get the one with those three guys who were showing you how a table saw works. I'd like to see something more advanced, or just bring back Roy Underhill.



Rod,
Do you get the additional digital channels from WNED? If you do, then you can see Roy. He is on the Think Bright channel at least a couple times a week.

Brian

[Chuck Tringo]

You can also watch the last few seasons of Roy right here (if you have better than a 64k connection :() http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/2900/2901.html


Rod,
Do you get the additional digital channels from WNED? If you do, then you can see Roy. He is on the Think Bright channel at least a couple times a week.

Brian

[Loren Blount]

Thanks to everyone who is helping.
Brandon put an interesting addition in his reply about his favorite episode. I'm not sure I could limit myself to one episode, but one of my favorites is NY0404 The Shaker Bookcase. Anyone else have a favorite episode, or something they built from a show. I built the shaker cherry cradle and it turned out great. It was really nice to build something off of a plan.


Loren

[Curt Harms]

Russell Morash in an interview indicated he feels that future of shows like NYW are webcast/podcast rather than broadcast TV. The question then is there enough potential revenue from such a medium to make the production of quality shows worthwhile.

[David Bruckner]

I sent an email to NYW... made a suggestion to have Norm's shows available as a digital download as an option... and maybe for a fee a few dollars less than his DVD's...

Great suggestion Dave Gaul!

Done. I am a huge fan of his show and too was sad to see it come to an end. The good thing is I still have several episodes DVR'd :)

[Larry Edgerton]

I recently saw a show where Norm and his little buddy were applying clapboard siding with a framing nailer. The work was terrible, and I would fire anyone who did such work on one of my jobs, so as far as I am concerned, its no great loss. He is just a sellout to the tool companys...

[Brandon Weiss]

I can't say that I've liked everything Norm has done, but I've never thought Norm has done a terrible job. Perhaps this was on This Old House? As far as a sellout to the tool companies? Please explain. Norm does not promote any specific tool on NYW. PBS controls the sponsorship and tools in the shop. In fact, Norm's use of tools in the shop rarely showed the labels. How many times have you seen him purposely set the Titebond glue bottle down with the label facing away from the camera? How many times has Norm said, "I'm using my Porter Cable Nailer today!" Granted, it's easy to tell it's Titebond glue and the tool colors often give the brand away, but Norm doesn't make it obvious. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I'm sorry you didn't get the same enjoyment out of Norm's craftsmanship that many of us have had. I do, however, doubt that you'd ever FIRE Norm Abram. And to say he sells out for the tools? How many tool commercials have you seen him in? How many stores do you see posters/standups of him holding a tool? He's not God, but he's done more for woodworking than many people have or ever will. When they talk about putting your workspace in the Smithsonian on display, I think you can safely say you've had an impact on your trade of choice.

[Eric Roberge]

Done! He has my support and thanks for posting!

Here's a suggestion...If you don't like Norm...skip over this thread...:rolleyes:

[Loren Blount]

I just noticed this morning that the NYW online is airing episode #2 the workbench. I also noticed they have an online schedule now for some upcoming episodes and their air dates. Keep up the good work emailing the NYW, I think it might be working.


Loren

[Jerome Hanby]

I had already done so. I suggested a subscription based service like FWW Online.