Talk radio hosts need only a computer and phone

Reuters ^ | 27 Dec 2007 | Paul Thomasch

[Aristotelian]

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Anyone with dreams of being a talk radio star -- ranting about sports and politics, chatting with callers, sharing recipes or car-buying tips -- can play host on their own show, right on the Web.

BlogTalkRadio, Talkshoe and Skypecasts are among the Web sites that have become popular for would-be radio jocks, and all it takes is a computer and a telephone.

"You can create a show within five minutes and be on the air within 15 minutes," said Alan Levy, the CEO of BlogTalkRadio, a site he started shortly after his father fell ill with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2006.

At first, Levy created a blog for his father, allowing him to easily keep in touch with family and friends. Later, Levy decided he wanted something more than a blog.

"I wasn't feeling like it was a conversation -- it was all text." So he came up with the idea of creating broadcasts for bloggers, and BlogTalkRadio was born.

With BlogTalkRadio, hosts use a telephone and computer to create live, call-in shows. Unlimited participants can join, and the service is free because it's advertising-supported. After airing, the shows are archived and become available as podcasts for other listeners.

So far, nearly 46,000 shows have been created -- with subjects ranging from entertainment to politics to sports and lifestyle. Actor Brad Pitt, politician John Kerry, baseball player David Wright and author Jodi Picoult are among those who have been interviewed.

"Some shows are good, some aren't so hot," said Levy. "The cream rises to the top."

Around 350 shows are on the air each day, some hosted by established bloggers, like Ed Morrissey or Flylady. Others are from people who are just beginning to gain a strong following on the Web site.

[Aristotelian]

The web is making possible all sorts of decentralization, atomization, specialization, and customization. It's already been done with print, and now it's moving into audio, with video next. Just like FR has grown into a community, others will emerge, based on audio-video. Earlier I posted a piece about elite universities allowing outsiders to monitor courses for free. This is all just the beginning. And recognize, too, that these venues will not just mimic or copy what already exists in other mediums, they also will spawn brand new forms of entertainment and knowledge-sharing (not to mention the commercialization of knowledge for monetary gain). Remarkable. Simply remarkable.

[jmyrlefuller]

Pinging someone who has a show on this service...

[xc1427]

I’m also waiting for a cheap voice synthesizer to hit the market, so that anyone with an IQ greater than a laptop and/or a telephone can sound “intelligent” enough to get the job done.

[cowboyway]

iRadio..............

[Man50D]

Just like FR has grown into a community, others will emerge, based on audio-video.

Free Republic Blog Talk Radio? Hmmmmmmmmm.

[Moonman62]

I believe FR did have an internet radio show a few years ago.

[Mogollon]

Computer, phone, and talent. Thus, liberals need not apply.

[Jackknife]

Ready to hit the air?

[randog]

It's already been done with print, and now it's moving into audio, with video next.

I remember a movement several years ago that tried to boot up indy video projects, similar to what happened in the music industry. It'd be nice to see Hollywood swirl the bowl the way newspapers and the recording industry are.

[OCC]

With BlogTalkRadio, hosts use a telephone and computer to create live, call-in shows

Caller, are you there? Ok, lets go to line 2. Hello? Caller, are you there?

[Aristotelian]

The momentum of technology is ushering in a libertarian society. Eventually, the individuals who make up this new society will come into conflict with the coercion that is the hallmark of statism. This suggests that libertarian conservatism will overtake progressive liberalism as the political philosophy of choice.

[RedRover]

Hey, pink! Thought you might be interested.

[pinkpanther111]

um,,,not yet!!!! LOL

Still a chicken in public speaking, although I have managed to do a few public events that would never have dreamed of before!

[RedRover]

Step by step...you’ll end up as the conservative Larry King.

[pinkpanther111]

:) we shall see!!!

[lilycicero]

Cool.

[Old Professer]

Speaking of hoorlywood, how’s the buggywhipper’s strike going?

[isrul]

But if libertarians get too uppity, how long will it be until the “state” shuts the whole thing down and simply declares “all of your philosophies of choice are belong to us”?

[rightwingintelligentsia]

So when are YOU going to get your own show?

[HonestConservative]

http://blogtalkradio.com/freedom

Welcome to the aforementioned Freedom Radio. (me)

Thanks, jmf.