NOTE: I’ve added some additional polls based on early input.
I’ve been toying with this idea for a few months. As many of you know, I currently work in radio, having done TV for 25 years. Logically with that background, with the clear success of WUWT, I’ve been approached more than once about doing a live weekly radio program. Here’s what my radio voice sounds like.
You’re listening to WUWT (click for MP3)
I’ve looked around a bit at what others are doing, for example at the “science” section of BlogTalkRadio. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I didn’t want to be in the same listing with the other people there. Sheesh what a nuthouse.
Doing a radio program is a big commitment. It is also expensive in that I’ll have to setup a home studio and streaming server. My current radio station isn’t properly equipped with live Internet streaming and I worry about breaking what is running now by adding new software and hardware. The last person who tried a hardware/software experiment on live production systems took us off the air for about 15 minutes and is no longer working there.
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.
I wouldn’t limit the format to just climate, since the namesake is rich enough to cover most any topic. There’s also such a wealth of news each week to easily fill an hour long program.
I welcome input on the idea, and also any software/hardware combos that might be recommended for live radio streaming. I already have several ideas, but readers often surprise me with new ones.
And if I do it, what would be the preferred format?
Audio, video, or both?
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Stick to 15 min segments at least once a week or more. I just finished watching my daily dose of PJTV, call them!
you should look at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ . Many of the financial bloggers use their service (there are rules about language and such iirc but its very convenient.)
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 suggest an archived show as many above have mentioned–with a global audience it would be impossible to have everybody attend a live session. I subscribe to Global Cooling Radio and they contact me via email regarding the latest archived show, which I can listen to at any time. They also have an archive of past shows for reference. I’m in favor of an play on demand format rather than going live–the record the sessions and post. BTW, Anthony–your voice sounds fine. However, I’d avoid Skype as we use it at work and it significantly distorts the voice quality of those using it. Almost any VoIP service has problems that way.
Ya but… are you spreading yourself too thin? Are your kids happy to see “that guy in the den that mom lets use our computer?” Do they remember your name?
Still, I voted that you go for it.
The one advantage to ‘live’ is audience participation. The captured ‘live’ show can be accessed any time by people who miss the live version.
I’m one of the worst techno Neanderthals imaginable. I still haven’t gotten around to teaching myself how to use HTML tags, though it’s been on my to do list for several years now. As a consequence I’ll leave advice on the details of enacting this idea to others. However, I have greatly admired the calm, open, and reasonable approach to scientific matters that you have always exhibited on this site. That is something that is often sorely lacking in this world and something the world needs much more of. I would therefore heartily endorse doing anything you can do to expand your reach, with my only cautionary proviso being that an incremental approach with limited initial financial commitment is probably wisest in the present environment.
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].
I agree with Janama and David Holliday . Just record and post.
Also I have found some people learn better from audio input (hubby) while others of us are visual learners. Therefore this will help reach the other group of people who do better with audio input.
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.
If I win the lottery (and the state actually pays off) I’ll underwrite the entire venture.
Talk radio reaches millions of people who don’t use the Internet.
I like the idea, as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of the WUWT blog. As “they” say – if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it!
I’d think about it twice, Anthony. You’d be taking on an enormous amount of extra work and commitments.
Remember this post? Anthony
Don’t spread yourself too thin, please!!
======================
Open Thread WeekendPosted on March 6, 2010 by Anthony Watts I’ve decided to step away from WUWT this weekend. Both my wife and I are sick with a cold. I’m very tired, and I need to do something else for awhile besides moderate squabbles; like work on my paper which keeps getting time taken away from it by the attention this blog requires.
If you have something worth posting on the front page, flag a moderator. Those that want to do guest posts are welcome to do so also. Again, flag a moderator for attention. Those that have author permission already, go for it.
I’ll resume posting if I feel up to it Sunday night.
In the meantime, talk quietly and politely amongst yourselves. Don’t make me come back here.
– Anthony
==================
“Moderation in all things”
Time is needed to heel the wounds inflicted on reasoned thinking.
I.E. Don’t burn out on us!!
An hour?!? My attention span is about 6 minutes! On a good day…
And Time Zones are a bit of a problem…
I’d love to see you on Current TV!!
(no, I don’t believe in the Easter Bunny….I’m just being optimistic)
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”.
Ale Gorney said on May 2, 2010 at 2:01 pm:
Anthony Watts had already said in his post:
*groan*
No on has said it so far – so here goes.
Why not make it a paid subscription Anthony?
No one! sheesh
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.
Need some broadcast fodder? This could be an interesting place to start…or finish.
What Global Warming Causes
http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/globalwarming2.html
…No conflict here…. 🙂
Earth Spins Slower
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1816860.stm
Earth Spins Faster
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11555
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.
There is no advantage to live broadcast unless it requires live audience participation.
If it were exclusively streamed, many would miss it and not like missing it.
Therefore it must be canned, one way or another.
Canned voice is a big file and should be an option, not a requirement. There are people on dialup, still.
Quality can not suffer by using print. You don’t get to edit live stuff.
[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!