WUWT Radio

Only worth it for recapping week’s headlines or special guest interviews – reputable people such as Christy, etc.

I’m not sure if this will be of much help on the technical side of things, but I like the podcasts available on http://www.twit.tv (These are mainly computer-oriented technical podcasts with some fun stuff thrown in.) Maybe they have a contact for technical tips for new podcasters?

Dear Anthony: I like the idea and I like your radio voice. The name of my consulting firm, Retread Resources, came about when two geologists and a mining engineer found themselves unemployed (1992). I told the other two we would do what all unemployed geologist do, consult. One of my partners said, “you know Dennis, were just a bunch of retreads.” The three of us had worked in many different parts of the earth sciences over the years. We simply keep reinventing ourselves. We have never looked back. Today I am the only one still actively working at Retread, we are all still retreading. I hope you join us in that.

Take a look at this multimedia player/server. It’s highly thought of on ZDNet.com.
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
By the way VLC is freeware. I don’t know if it’s server capabilities are robust enough.
You could capture/edit and output video as mp3 I think with Microsoft live essentials Movie Maker(a freebie) then serve to the internet with VLC.

I agree with Janama. Just record and post. You don’t need livestreaming. Tuning in at a specific day and time is tough. It’s an ondemand world.

I think it would be good for getting the word out to folks who don’t want to sit down and read the sometimes-lengthy pages. I would consider downloading podcasts to keep handy on my MP3 players for sharing with others.
You might want to also consider putting videos on Youtube or some other hosting site. After all, Al Gore got lots of attention with his movie, right? Some well-placed visuals can go a long way.
Your voice sounds good…authoritative…bright…not goofy.
Videos like Mercola puts out would be useful. He includes a transcription a lot of the time, and they can contain links to points that could use further detailed elaboration, and they usually lead into blogged commentary by other readers.

Skype also offers a recording program so you could record interviews via skype.

Are you sure that you have the time, and are able to make the commitment? I would be concerned about similarities with Steve Heally over at the escape pod SF podcast, where he had a few problems with the pressure of things. It’d be a big commitment on your part.
But, if you are seriously confident then go for it,

I’ve been frustrated for years that popular science shows always present leftist or environmental pseudo-science without a trace of criticality, at least for the last 20 years. You’d have to back to the 80s and before to find science programs that didn’t have a progressive slant. I’d welcome a science program that’s primary focus is SCIENCE… that educates and informs people about new research and issues, does not present as fact as-yet-unproven assertions, and debunks bad science.

You’ll never know unless you try.
I think having guests would be great.
Who knows, maybe you could get Mann or Gore to come on!

I also recommend a prerecorded podcast. I would enjoy listening to your program while driving; it’s just too difficult to read WUWT while hurtling down the freeway 😉

kewl. Radio Free Climate!
I don’t know if it will make you the next Megastar, but you could post it as a video here also.
It might build quite a following.

Until I find broadband a necessity and break down and get it, streaming anything doesn’t concern me.
How about a “test run” idea to judge public interest? Post a daily US national weather forecast as an audio file, include the scientific terms in brief explanations like “…due to the negative Arctic Oscillation…” Put it with a click-able graphic on the right side, right-click to download file please. Minimal setup/expense, and you can directly see how popular an audio feature can be. Then you can better gauge how well a streaming feed or even a podcast format would be received.

Yep, didn’t vote because the poll is setup like you want us to talk you out of it.
I’d jump in with the ‘go for it, but make it a podcast/recorded affair’ – you seriously limit your market by doing a ‘live broadcast’. Get it ‘on tape’, and let the audience listen on their schedule. Also, with a recorded format, you aren’t ‘on the hook’ to fill an announced and scheduled amount of time – the individual shows are the individual shows, as long or as short as the subject matter or the interview require.
As for hardware/software investment, you’re probably there as is – the quality of the demo piece was perfectly fine, to my non-industry professional ears, so you’ve got the ‘in studio’ portion down – just a bit of playing around with the tele-interviewing combo (skype, yahooIM w/audio) and how you’ll capture it, and you should be set.
Set aside and ‘unlearn’ whatever it is that you’ve picked up over 25 years of traditional broadcasting that may be holding you back – concentrate on the KISS principle, and have at it. The quality of this blog is the content, not the techno gee-whiz; with that in mind, I have very little doubt that the experiment will be a success.
REPLY: I’ll add a second poll dealing with methodology. -A

I like the idea of using mp3 files instead of live. New Zealand has different wake up times from you guys. Some time ago I downloaded mp3 and powerpoint presentations from Heartland’s site (NY Conference May 2009). I was able to play and replay as I wished. It was a great learning experience. So if you wanted to do pictures too, you could try Heartland’s idea of mp3 with powerpoint.

Anthony, you have many great assets including background in broadcast media, international following, and a great radio voice (“frog voice” as my film-making friend calls it!).
The podcast model would be better than streaming, and you would certainly be able to line up some excellent guests from many branches of science. Leif would probably be a fantastic guest!
You also offer a more balanced approach than some (Fox News, Real Climate) and I think this would be very welcomed at this point in history.
Best of luck with this, other contributors have a good feel for the software platforms etc.

I like the idea and agree with those who suggest pre-recording. Live is far too much of a demand, with family and all. Talk about anything. Science. What amuses you. And I agree, post it first on WUWT, see how many hits you get. Minimum cost for the experiment. MP3 format. Lots of players and simple to use. Also compact. Some of us lurkers and old geezers don’t have T3 Fibre Optic connections.

Anthony – I like the video idea better, and stuff that could be accessed anytime on YouTube or elsewhere would be great.

Much of what is useful to non-scientists regarding climate issues involves charts and graphs which can’t be used in an audio format. Also, blog text can be saved on our local storage devices for future reference. Whether you should have a live radio or recorded mp3 format depends on how much free time you have for this project, whether you can add anything to the value your website brings to your audience and how much money you can make from it.

+1 You definitely have me as a listener.
Live broadcast would have the advantage that you could take live Twitter questions or phone calls. But you will have listeners from all over the globe so not everyone will be able to listen live (e.g. I live in Denmark).
I imagine one invited guest per broadcast (approx. 1 hour) with subsequent mp3 podcast and YouTube upload. Commercials will be acceptable.
Perhaps start out with 1 show per month and later increase frequency.

Wow, that’s a scoop, getting Walter Matthau to be your radio voice!
For me I would like the opportunity to listen (maybe watch to?) on a live stream as it is happening – you could maybe take live calls. But I would also love the opportunity to download the shows to listen to on my little iPod thingy (it’s actually a Sansa Fuze, but whatever) whilst on my travels. This would also open up the opportunity for like-minded geeks to post your mp3s (mp4s?) on other sites, spreading the good word.
I would be more than happy with just plain audio – but video would be nice too if showing graphics, charts, etc. Why not offer the choice of streaming/downloading either plain audio or audio+video? Anyway, definitely GO FOR IT!

From: JohnWho on May 2, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Otherwise, WUWT does sound like a radio stations call letters, so why not try the obvious next step?
It’s a common practice for stations to use their letters for websites. So I checked. wuwt.com has someone squatting on it while wuwt.org is a forgotten wordpress blog. wuwt.tv is open btw. Curious.

Among the reasons not to do it live is the fact that WUWT is so truly international, spanning the anglophone world, and then some. International phone interviews that have technical issues arising would become stressful live, but much less so on a pre-recorded basis. The ability to absorb the hits of technical issues is why, for instance, the nightly news on the major networks so rarely have live interviews anymore.
It would be valuable, IMHO, for Anthony and his guests to be “practicing” in the medium of radio for such time when the MSM realizes that it has been had and needs to turn to some other voices for balance. Either that, or as with the web, Anthony will simply take the medium by storm.

I don’t know where you get the time to do what you do now!

Stick to 15 min segments at least once a week or more. I just finished watching my daily dose of PJTV, call them!

Hi Anthony, your voice comes across very clearly. As a German, i sometimes have problems understanding certain US speakers but not in your case.
Personally, i often find presentations like those done by Joe Bastardi very entertaining, where he comments on some map and highlights details he’s talking about… Voice alone is not so interesting for me except for interviews.
Just my opinion – i should add that i don’t listen much to stuff during my daily commute so people with a lengthy daily commute might have a different need here.

I agree that live broadcasting is demanding but more importantly ‘pause’ and ‘rewind’ are vital to digesting oral information. The expression “seeing is believing” reflects seeing’s historical distinction from hearing, and why we naturally prefer to watch faces while listening to “talking heads” – at least until we learn to trust our favourites.
However I also wonder about the risks of editing. We all like to fix any [perceived] errors before going public but this can consume valuable time. Better to offer occasional apologies.
Certainly start with the idea of experiment and consider staying with it, not least with hardware which is evolving too fast for even the likes of Rupert Murdoch! Consider outsourcing it AND your content! But target only MP3 audiences. They will grow for years as others shrink [as audiences discover that their trust in such talking heads as Al Gore and Glenn Beck has been abused].

R. de Haan says:
May 2, 2010 at 11:51 am
Yes, a weekly report would be great!
But I wonder what it would take extra to produce a weekly video broadcast!
______________________________________________________________________
Anthony start Audio only first you can always upgrade to a weekly video broadcast as the next step.

Talk radio reaches millions of people who don’t use the Internet.

An hour?!? My attention span is about 6 minutes! On a good day…
And Time Zones are a bit of a problem…

Just do a regular youtube posted video log. Tehn you don’t have to do any of the technical stuff, running a server etc… + everyone can search for you oin you tube.
Radio, like the telly, is dead medium now. E.g. I used to listen to radio a lot, and watch telly a lot… but now I just watch/read/listen things on internet. that’s why most tv stations now have e.g. 4OD, iplayer etc… because they realise that people want “on-demand”.

No on has said it so far – so here goes.
Why not make it a paid subscription Anthony?

My first thought is Science Friday on NPR. They have no counterpoint, and the interviewer seems to fall under the spell of the interviewee with great regularity. You’ve already got the jump on that problem with your open format.

I do this, so maybe can offer some pointers. I just interviewed Piers Corbyn: http://bit.ly/aRux92 And Prof. Bob Carter a number of times: http://bit.ly/8Dmmth
Downloadable mp3 is fast, convenient and flexible. Streaming is a full time tech job and a time and resource muncher. The subject matter here is best presented in written and graphic format. Use audio to motivate and build community; also to reach new non-technical audiences with summary and overview. Contact me for tech tips.

[Harold Ambler says:
May 2, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Among the reasons not to do it live is the fact that WUWT is so truly international, spanning the anglophone world, and then some. International phone interviews that have technical issues arising would become stressful live]
Streaming and podcasting are not mutually incompatible. I say do a live stream, then podcast it (i.e. post an mp3 or mp4) more or less immediately after the show. I often listen to American live streams here in the UK – there’s always something a bit more special about listening to news/discussion as it is actually happening – but given time zone differences I also take advantage of podcasts for when it’s not practical for me to listen live (i.e. those 2 hours per day when I manage to get some shut-eye).
I can really see the WUWT show as being top of my favourites, based purely on this site’s readable contents – although I know AW intends to broaden the scope beyond climate. Although, to that, I would say: why? OK, I know there are many things science out there of interest. However, climate science (the transparent, honest kind) is of such importance now that it might be an idea to just do a climate show.
Just my tuppence!

Only if it’s a pirate radio station.

What he said:
D. King says:
May 2, 2010 at 11:54 am
Anthony,
Your blog is a national asset.
I fear time away would be detrimental.
MP3 interviews would be fantasic.
Regards,
Steamboat Jack
(Jon Jewett’s evil twin)

Broadcasting live is not necessary in the beginning(I rarely ever listen to anything live). A weekly podcast can be a simple mp3 distribution of a Skype conference that you have with your guests.

I’ve been approached more than once about doing a live weekly radio program.
Fwiw, I think live/recorded am radio would reach the most people in need of being reached, many of whom don’t get to the internet very much and are listening only while driving or working – and even fairly simple radio shows have worked and have a very large potential market. Of course your show would have to gain stations to spread far enough, but this could happen imo. Pod casts don’t interest me at all. I’d rather read. When I’m in the car or messing around on some project, my am radio is on.

Vlogging, to me, is the way to go. There is a guy, Jack Spriko, who does an immensely popular Itunes VLOG called “The Survival Podcast” that has tremendous amounts of subscriptions….but isn’t a militia, nuthouse survival vlog. Now, he can afford, money and time wise, to put out a show everyday, but that would be a good avenue to go to.

Something along the lines of Weather action on youtube would be great,
give Piers corbyn a nudge ,he seems the type of guy that would help out.

The “keys” to the success of WUWT are two,
1.) WATT’s & Co. and the quality and content of the material presented
AND
2.) The real or imagined ability of your audience to provide seemingly immediate feedback and “discuss” the pro’s and con’s at a world-wide forum over the course of a few days. –and sometimes insert news flashes or shout out OT’s.
Regarding the first key I have no doubt that you will succeed regardless of format. With respect to the second key, I have my doubts. Though you will no doubt get many to listen, the participation aspect will be missing from what I understand our current technical capabilities are. Now you have a “pseudo-live” Greek Forum; what we seem to be talking about here is a studio, live or not, and no live listeners or tomato throwers; no back and forth, kind’a like radio or TV.
Best of luck! (“Break a leg!” as they say;-)
PS: Go slow! Go cheap!

Good advice from your commenters thus far: podcasts, edited and a staged approach. There was a question of burnout earlier in year, so a go-slow approach is warranted. Your blog is most important (agree – national treasure), so couldn’t rec anything that would put that at risk.
There is however a question of market segment: is this
a) the portal to allow NEWCOMERS to the debate to get beyond the rhetoric of the MSM or
b) the weekly outlet for the folks already “inside baseball”

I agree that podcasts a great way to go if you want to go there. I’m in Australia and would not get up at 2am to listen. Also agree the odd video would be good. But Anthony, make sure you plan so it gives you a reasonable revenue stream. Your time is the limited resource here, so you may want to buy other resources to make your life easier. And I agree with the posters who tell you to make sure your family still sees you in real life regularly!
Hazel

It’s not really a radio program unless it’s on the radio. Why not do an hour a week on a weekend talk station, then syndicate it?

The subject matter is good. The voice is good. However, you are way too good looking to sit behind a mic instead of in front of a camera. jmo.

Normally I would be the first to say yes.. but in this case I voted a definite no. I think it would detract totally from this website and people would simply lose interest as there is simply not enough time to listen to everything. This format is a winner obviously.. You can see at a glance what the story is with a simple explanation, graphs tables etc.. and then people comment on it. I listened to one story on the other radio global cooling radio and just could not be bothered to go through! Too much too long! Also I think interest in AGW is probably waning everywhere including in the skeptic camp as it (AGW) ain’t happening anyway LOL.

You could include a video/radio segment here..occasionally.. much easier, same result

Dear Anthony,
A friend of mine, Peter Strachan, who runs his own authoritative subscription-base oil and gas newsletter here in Australia (‘Stockanalysis’ http://www.stockanalysis.com.au ) recently added a weekly radio-style “Feedback Session” to the subscribers’ section of the webpage through which his newsletter is delivered. As a subscriber, I was unsure the value of this at first, but am now an avid fan who never misses a single edition: it has proved to be a resounding success.
Each session lasts about half an hour. The loose format consists of an overview and brief analysis of any significant economic events, then comments on relevant oil-industry, financial market and company-specific events, and then the main body of the session is a series of in-depth responses to clients’ specific questions, usually about particular companies, plus Peter’s own sometimes quite quirky observations of anything that amuses, intrigues or sparks his imagination.
It is delivered through streaming, sound-only Windows Media Player and MP3 formats, and in my case I run it at my desk on Windows Media Player whilst I am working on other more mundane tasks.
The reasons that it is such a success as far as I am concerned (and I think you will relate to these) are: a) The consistent high quality of content, which is a direct reflection of Peter’s depth of industry knowledge and the energy and effort that he puts in each week, b) the relevance of the content to the audience’s immediate interests, c) the originality and entertainment value of the material in the way that it is presented.
Peter started out as an industry professional from a specific scientific background, who then diversified into broader-based resources industry, financial and scientific analyses and commentary. He now appears regulary on televison, radio and in the press and is frequently asked for his authoritative comments on mining, oil and gas industry matters. You might recognise a few common factors between his CV and yours!
ANyway, if you would like to have a look at how his radio-style format works, you can either contact him through his ‘Stockanalysis’ website, or email me directly and I will be able to give you his contact details.
I must say, if you were to go ahead with the proposed radio project, I would be a very regular listener to a half-hour per week WUWT commentary delivered through Windows Media Player, and if it included responses to some of the more original and interesting listeners queries, I think that would be very entertaining.
Congratulations again on the excellence, interest value and high scientific integrity of your blog.
With best regards,
Larry Kirk
(Perth, Western Australia)

When are you getting a Facebook fan page? You can reach more people through invites from existing members….

I could imagine a radio talk back format with Anthony and an ‘expert’, inviting discussion following an introduction to the topic. The questions could be written, texted or live.
The live callers would necessarily be US, the others from around the world, how?, you invite questions before the topic is discussed,by announcing the topic ahead.
Radio in Australia is kept alive by talk back, guess it is the same the world over.
Talk back radio has always puzzled me, but is democratic, inclusive and may be worth a try. Avoiding ‘elitism’ is not easy, as scientific discussion can sound condescending.

Had to listen to it TWICE to realize it was not a “normal professional radio voice” doing an intro FOR you Anthony, but rather it IS you!
I think it PASSES the “sounds like a professional broadcaster muster.
We have a fellow in my church choir, who was the ‘morning voice’ for a popular local radio station…for 40 years! Now having listened to you three times, I’m realizing you SOUND LIKE HIM. Thus, if he can do 40 years, you’d better prepare for the long haul.
Max

Mr Watts,
You are a GLOBAL ASSET, without WUWT I doubt much of the NASA/NOAA/CRUT chicanery of the last 30 years would have made its way to the public, imagine that,….chilling.
A weekly summary of the WUWT site would be a genius move, as long as it didn’t sap too much of your energy, I’d love to hear Mr Goddard and Lord Monckton comment too, that would make my week every week. And you could go global, get Jo Nova by phone, or Ian Plimmer, just to add a touch of the south to the show.
But better still, would be the polite, cogent and well tempered responses to the MSM’s doom mongering, you’ve already proven you can convey real information minus the Ad Hominen and vitriol. That puts you leagues above anything in any broadcast media today, imagine the BBC trying that for a change…
I wish you luck Sir! And what ever you choose to do, you’ll have several hundreds of thousands of bloggers enthusiastically listening.

First thing is: What is your goal?
Second thing is: What is your goal?
Third thing is: Do you have a plan to achieve it?
If you can answer these questions in a positive note, then go for it.

“I’ve been approached more than once about doing a live weekly radio program.”
That means they’ll pay you? They offered a contract?

A free Ipod app would be nice Anthony. The only thing I listen to on my Itouch is the Alex Jones show. I would definitely tune into the Anthony Watts Up With That show if it was available.

I won’t offer a response to your poll, as it’s your decision Anthony — it sounds like a lot of work to me, and I’d hate to make you feel you “owed” this to your supporting public.
You could find other ways to channel the urge to go into broadcast, with a lower energy barrier. For example, why not pitch the possibility of a “weather and climate” stream for PJTV? If you’re really not wanting a video format, they might even give support to a radio format. I think the PJTV regulars can get by with simply a skype-type interface from a home office, and most of the production end of things is handled by the PJTV professionals; most of their personalities are amateurs, but I suspect they’re growing to the point that they might even be offering small stipends to regulars.
I’m sure they’d be keen to have you on board, considering your profile and their need for growth. But perhaps their partisan slant (which I personally find refreshing — at least they wear their bias on their sleeves and don’t pretend to stony impartiality).
On the other hand, you might worry that their political slant could deter your regulars or clutter your message with unrelated baggage. Besides, they have a few … um … loose canons. I wouldn’t say PJTV qualifies as “nuthouse” in the sense you used, but let’s just say there is a bit of spread in the quality of their offerings, from just plain dumb to really sharp political commentary (I recommend their satirical Trifecta and Andrew Klavan on the Culture, and the more serious Afterburner). If you’re not familiar with them, look around a bit on their channels. A feature on weather and climate along the lines of their “medically incorrect” slot would fit their format well.
If you do go into radio, would you keep the acronym as call letters? I have a hard time imagining this tongue-twister being recited 5 times an hour:

“You’re listening to double-yew-yew-double-you-tee radio!”

How about “penta-yew-tee”, which at least flies off the palate a little easier and has a built in bit of drollity?

mods, Anthony,
Do it as simple as possible, will be much better all around.
A digital camera a tripod a microphone computer to crunch the video to mp4 podcast.
here is an example (note the increment for direct access) 10(2010) 18( eighteenth week 2010)
http://podcast.jvim.com/video/1018.mp4
http://podcast.jvim.com/video/1017.mp4
http://jvim.com/tv/
http://jvim.com/
audio only
http://podcast.jvim.com/audio/1017.mp3
follow the K.I.S.S. just ask any engineer here!
a bed sheet with a logo for the back ground two chairs a sheet of plywood cut in a curve etc. contact me if you need/want to.
Tim L.
oh ya and do it linked through here WUWT

A simple phone interview format might work for you. Send an email to the person you are to interview with questions and topics beforehand as well as asking for their own suggestions. I’d like to hear you ask each person that’s involved in science what science is and why they got interested in their field before you hang up.
Plain down loadable MP3s.

And just what’s wrong with being wedged in between UFO conspiracists, creation/evolution debaters, and Bigfoot researchers on BlogTalkRadio? Enquiring minds want to know. 😉

This would make a great topic for the radio show.
Glenn Beck outlines the carbon trading scam involving Obama and Al Gore
Glenn Beck April 29
http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/checker.aspx?v=Xd6U4zvknz

I’m from a different educational background than most here, so I’ll chime in.
A radio program also has rewards in that it can reach many people who might not turn to blogs. It also offers a chance to have guests, much like guest posts on WUWT.
That says it all.
If that’s what you’re trying to do, then that’s the road you’ll have to travel. Adding weekly mp3 downloads here would be great & all, but you’ll just be spending a lot more of your valuable time preaching to the same audience. More work for the same result.
Is that what you really want to do, Anthony? I don’t think so.
You’re trying to make a difference. And you already have. But if you want to take it to the next step, then by all means take it.
If expanding the audience is your objective (seems pretty clear that it is), then a radio show is the way to go. And I say that echoing the concerns of others, namely that you can still maintain the quality of WUWT while adding a radio show to your daily workload.
Good luck to you. I hope you do it.

If you do it be careful of who you choose as guests.You may find yourself in hot water because of something a guest says.

Anthony,
I now read your site appreciably less than before because the new layout doesn’t agree with me. I suppose a podcast would be welcome, but streaming rather than downloading would just add to the things I know I’d be missing from WUWT.
The poll for the site change reads thus:
Love it – 50.5%
Eh, it’s OK – 35.4%
Hate it – 14.1%
What is your current interpretation? A question that I’d dearly love the answer to is how many would object to a return to the old format.
Have you checked your site stats? Are they being maintained? I can see the day coming when I’ll become so vexed that I will become an infrequent visitor. I’m not trying to be contentious, just stating how I feel a superficially trivial yet actually important thing like layout can destroy one’s appreciation. It’s like having a girlfriend one knows is attractive, but who insists on dressing in a sack. :-(((((
REPLY: In a few days, WordPress 3.0 will be out, and this will (hopefully) give me better control over the look of the format.
I’m curious as to why the new layout doesn’t agree with you. Is it becuase you are running on older hardware/software that can’t handle it or is it more about style? -A

I am running the newest hardware and software – and I prefer the old website theme in Windows and Mac.
—
The problem may be with WordPress. I specifically do not like the fact that the blog user interface is sort of ‘page oriented’ as opposed to two panels with a index tree on the left that lets me index/click on what I want to read… as opposed to the next page, the next page, the next page – serially.
Clarity. I prefer clean lines not graphic fluff. You can see this in the New York Times and in the Globe and Mail websites. Their content is presented with no formatting fluff. The chap that is website designer at the New York Times has the following WordPress website:
http://www.subtraction.com/2009/11/14/introducing-basic-maths
http://www.subtraction.com/about/

If it wasn’t for your crucifixion of God’s Own language I’d be wholeheartedly in support. “Two nations separated by a common language”
tongue out of cheek/
only kidding, imho your radio voice has that 20 Malboro a day gravitas to it that commands attention.

Vlogging is ideal for popular science. It allows you to show graphs and animations, and reach audiences that are too lazy to read your blog.
Videoclips (YouTube, Google…) are easily taken over by other bloggers and spread across the ever warming globe…
Success guaranteed.

Michael Larkin says:
May 2, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Personally, I’m more impressed and interested in content that presentation on the net , although maybe there is a need of a little colour.
How about some green or blue shades, or other natural colours? Like the sea or grass and trees, since we’re all as concerned about mother nature as the activists?

Anthony,
I made a wave file off the answering machine once just using the microphone to the answering machine message and it turned out great.
A french friend almost got himself into an accident on the cell phone and the surprise language he used was very entertaining.

I’m still wondering what the radio program is supposed to achieve that isn’t done already on the blog. Are there so many illiterate or blind people out there who still are interested in science and use the web to make it worth while? Myself, I find I’m reading much faster (even though English isn’t my first language) than having content read aloud to me. Also, listening to talk radio is dreadfully “linear” – you cannot (as I habitually do) skim an article in a few seconds to find out for yourself whether it’s worthwhile, and if it is, then read and re-read it more slowly for full comprehension.
Audio formats IMHO should be reserved for things that cannot be expressed fully on the printed page, such as music, poetry/drama, or even political speeches (where sometimes the intonation gives an interpretation of the words said that’s quite dissimilar to what they look like in print). Science in my – maybe naive – understanding is about facts that neither need nor allow for interpretation (let alone artistical or poetical embellishment), so it’s a waste of effort to use anything but written words and occasional diagrams unless your target audience is somehow unable to digest these other than through audio.

Anthony,
I am so interested in this I would be willing to make a small donation to help defray the equipment costs. Do you have a way for those of us so inclined could make a donation?
I’ve been looking for science mp3 podcasts to load into my waterproof mp3 player when I swim. I had to switch from running to swimming about 6 months ago (my knees are betraying me 🙁 ) and, while swiming is better exercise, it is monumentally boring. Listening to podcasts while I do my mile is the only way I can fight the boredom of looking at the bottom of the pool for 35-40 minutes.
I’ve tried other ‘science’ podcasts but have found them wanting.
Go for it.
[Reply: there is a “Donate” button along the right sidebar. ~dbs, mod.]

I also agree with Janama ( 11:18), keep it simple for yourself and leave the onus on us to download your efforts. You do so much already that I would hate to see any added expenses of your time and effort for a perhaps limited gain.

This is a winner. As one can see by this blog there a hunger for science in the media. Like a lot of commenters here I’m sure,I’m still checking out the Mars rovers and following any new stuff on line. My wife is a radio producer and host who was born in Russia and she combs world news in several languages. Russia has scientific radio and TV programming of just the kind you are looking at and these folks are scientifically literate like no other. I think video – not just audio is best if this can be arranged. Its more of a hassle for production but the subject matter lends itself strongly to imaging – graphs etc. WUWT also would be a good educ. book series

Anthony.
I say yes, do it.
BUT
As I see your blog, it looks as if you and the mods already have an enormous workload, apart from any work you do elsewhere (earning a living, perhaps?).
I would recommend that rather than commit to a defined schedule where you have to produce stories for a regular slot, do it on an ad hoc basis. That way, when a topic comes up that lends itself to that means, you can do it to suit your own time-frame rather than put extra pressure on yourself just to achieve a deadline of your own manufacture. Remember the periods last winter when you had to take time away to recover.
On the whole , I think that this would be a very worthwhile extension to the current blog, but not if it’s going to kill you or your marriage.
For myself, I would like to see a mix of MP3/MP4 that can be viewed/ listened to from the blog.
john

My long post summarizing the ideas I liked best just got disappeared thru my stupidity. Most important: 1. what is(are) your purpose(s)? 2. will you have time for your wife and kids? 3. you have become (are) a “personality” in addition to a best-blogger — essential for radio; 4. donations plus subscriptions plus estimate of set-up cost so we afficianados can help defray; 5. lots of advice on most useful (both latest and that which appeals to largest audience) technology for your purposes; 6. link to WUWT.com for text and graphics; 7. perhaps this next step will enable you to hire a “manager’ and ‘tech person’ for live broadcasts; 8. continue to develop your inventive entrepreneurialism (whew) and investigative journalist persona (how desperately we need more like you).
About new format. I don’t like it (you did not give me a chance to vote that way — I don’t “hate it”). I feel most like JDS and Michael Larkin even though I do not have latest tech. New format does not feel “professional”. Everything is so spread out. Way too much white space; I think EM Smith said something like “snow blindness”. I can adjust the font size myself. I have many other reasons-feelings that I cannot articulate — but if this is what you want, ok with me.

One more comment: Anthony, you attract the most amazing commenters on WUWT and from so many fields and around the world. I continue to learn from each of them as well as from your, and your contributors’, posts. The experience has changed my life in this way: Despair would be easy these days in the currect educational/political climate (and I had to teach for years in a marxist(Cultural Studies)-curriculum-dominated institution), but with this many individuals thinking these truthful thoughts, living them in their daily lives, and demanding excellent of themselves and others, there is great hope. Especially, it is the everydayness of the experience of hope — for truthfulness, for the scientific method — that helps make life worth living. Steady as she goes (nautical meaning only) in whatever format/enterprise you choose.

This sounds like a great idea. I would be willing to pay for it. 😉

This would be fantastic as a weekly news recap and interview show – I would advise against fixed length or fixed format at least to start. Let content drive format from week to week and just tell us what happened that week, incorporating appropriate guests as much as possible. Don’t try to formalize/script too much or this will eat up way too much time for you. Keep it informal and casual, but by all means do it!!!
I would love to see (hear) you incorporate some sort of “Debate the Denier” segment or something like that. I realize that you would not have much luck getting the prominent alarmists to debate, but I think it would be outstanding to invite some of the more active bloggers/commenters/newsgroup participants from the other side to engage you and your guests directly. Sort of an opportunity for them to “give you their best shot” to support alarmism or challenge some of the WUWT content, and for you and/or your guests to respond and engage directly.
By showing a willingness to engage directly, even with non-experts on the other side, you would present an obvious contrast with the alarmists. And as the non-experts you engage inevitably appeal to the authority of the leading alarmists again and again, you can continuously remind them that there is an open door to ANYONE that wants to come in and engage on the issues.
Generally speaking, adversarial content, when conducted with class and poise, makes for extremely interesting listening. The beautiful thing about a podcast format for this is that it readily supports extended discussions when warranted and follow-up when appropriate.
(I would be willing to contribute towards the necessary expenses involved in getting this going, as I’m sure others here would be as well. )

a rational voice of moderation is always a good thing in the public arena. people who do have time and interest will continue to come to WUWT. Additionally the traffic to the site will see some people that did not take much interest in the topic. That will create a better enviroment in the whole debate.

Anthony, the idea is great – I would love it – but you do so much already!!
Still, McIntyre versus Mann – it’s even better than Federer-Nadal!

john ratcliffe says: I would recommend that rather than commit to a defined schedule where you have to produce stories for a regular slot, do it on an ad hoc basis.
This is my point of view too. Be careful. Less is more. After a while you will get a feeling what to do next, do not promise too much, something like one hour now and then, on an ad hoc basis, would be nice.

Not bad. A call in talk show would be the way to go. Maybe a 3 hr show on Sunday like Drudge used to have? You have all the info at your disposal and the callers too.

On vacation, haven’t been here lately, nor read all these comments. Only you know whether you have the time and energy to add another commitment to your already-extensive (backbreaking?) schedule. I would guess that if you could put together an hour or two of commentary a week, pulled from this blog, then it wouldn’t take much time—if you had help getting podcasts added to the website, archived, etc.
Under my ‘Cousin Lynn’ hat, I do four hours of radio a week (“Hillbilly at Harvard,” honky-tonk country and bluegrass on WHRB-FM [Cambridge, MA, Saturdays 9 AM – 1 PM Eastern, streaming at WHRB.org]—shameless plug!), and while I program on the fly and spend only Friday evenings reviewing new CDs, it’s exhausting enough to pretty much kill Saturdays. You’re an old pro, of course, so an hour of chit-chat might not add too much, nor detract any from the energies you devote to this terrific blog. Maybe worth an experiment, but not more?
/Mr Lynn

I recommend you not commit to a set weekly schedule, as per John Ratcliffe and Invarient. Keep your time/family flexibility. Do videos when you feel like it and have a cool topic or a fascinating guest. Post the links on this blog so people can watch on their schedule. Rather than a lot of editorializing about the AGWers, I’m far more interested in solid science covering a broad array of topics. Fresh ideas and authoritative information from you and your guests would offer a unique resource for your worldwide array of fans to tap into.
Best of luck, whatever you decide!
Kate

Anthony,
I really admire your energy and vision! Several folks have commented on the dangers of spreading yourself too thin. Let me second that! You have a wonderful voice, so that’s an asset, but I dabbled with some podcasting and it sucked up a ton of my time. Pulling together the content was the hardest part. Recording wasn’t so bad.
So a recommendation is that you might ask for volunteer support to help compile your content from what you already have on WUWT. No doubt there are some talented people who are willing to pitch in, as your experience with your other volunteer projects has shown. You might also find someone who can try to book guests for you, since that is also time-consuming.
Then, you can do the voice work without necessarily taking more away from your already insanely busy schedule. Content, message, and voice would be all you; you’d just have solid support for your important message.
And sorry, no I’m not volunteering. My background doesn’t include any real communications training or experience. Worse, I’m in Japan so the timezones don’t work too well.
Whatever you decide to do, you will have an enthusiastic audience. Best wishes on this new endeavor!

Stream with optional graphics – (for the charts, photos, etc.) i.e. you can toggle them on or off. Then SELL the video portion. i.e. set up a subscription which lets subscribers watch the broadcast live or canned on video. The video premium would be valuable for education, pool coverage of volcanoes, hurricanes, space walks, B roll etc. It’s a bunch more work but could make money. Lots of talk radio is done this way (Rush?) and with a strong page view base like yours, you’re bound to sign up enough subscribers (not too much $$ though) to cover the startup costs.
If you have nothing else to show, just do what Imus and Stern did early on – add a couple auto pan cameras to cover you at the microphone. And HAVE FUN!!!