FWIW, the boosts are typically in their own section that you can skip if you like. I put chapter markers in every episode to make it easy for you.
Those boosts are helping to keep the network solvent by diversifying income. As advertisers are getting more skittish, income needs to come from somewhere. None of us can afford to work for free, and there’s already one show that would be completely dead without boosts.
They also function similarly to feedback. Yes, there’s plenty of shenanigans, but Linux Unplugged has always been about creating an entertaining talk show kind of vibe. Linux Action News is more the serious one. Unfortunately, that’s on hiatus because of lack of sponsors.
Chris does try to tailor the boost segments per-show so they fit with the theme. Self Hosted, for example, keeps boosts more topical on average. It’s also worth mentioning that we haven’t removed email feedback - this isn’t pay-to-play.
Source: I edit Linux Unplugged, Self Hosted, Office Hours, and Coder Radio.