Build Yourself a Better Radio Experience

Sunday Night Live

I grew up in the Indianapolis area in the 80's, and local radio was a big part of my life. WNAP "The Buzzard" was one of the most popular FM stations in central Indiana, but my favorite was WFBQ "Q95".  When I was in high school, Q95 experimented with a show for a couple of years called Sunday Night Live.  The show was hosted by Steve Church, and later by Jay Baker, and was a very different, very cool type of talk show.

The show would often feature fringe topics such as backmasking, local ghost stories like The Screaming Bridge or The House of Blue Lights, cryptozoology, conspiracy theories, urban legends, etc. It started at 10:00 pm, and was perfect for listening in the dark.

Great Show, Small Audience

There was usually a topic-specific guest, and the audience could sometimes call in with questions or stories.  Callers that didn't have something relevant to say would be shut down, for being in violation of The Law of Conservation of Radio Energy (i.e. don't waste precious air time with nonsense). For me, for a while, this was "appointment radio" - something I looked forward to hearing to sort of close out the week.

I didn't give it much thought at the time, but Sunday Night Live probably had a pretty small audience.  It was air time nobody else wanted or would pay for, because of the low likelihood of listeners.  The guys that put the show together could do what they wanted, without fear of losing the time slot or advertisers.  That freedom to be different was what made it special, and what it made it impossible to air during times when larger audiences were possible.

Enter the Podcast

My drive to work has always been 20-30 minutes each way. After many years of being stuck with whatever was on the radio or CD player while in the car, I got started with listening to Podcasts early on.  I started with an original Audible Player with a cassette adapter, then iPod Nano, then various smart phones, and so on.  In the past couple of years, I have grown more fond of a core set of quality shows, and instead of listening to morning drive time radio (which seems to be 50% advertising for local car dealers), I have put together my own custom mix of great shows.  Thanks to the Internet's Long Tail, these shows can exist and be successful despite not having big audiences or high-dollar advertisers.

Like everything else on the Internet, the sheer number, variety and quality of Podcasts has grown at what seems like an exponential rate. Today, it's so easy for smart, creative people with something interesting to say to create their own show (and at minimal cost) that the essence of what I loved about that old late night radio show still lives on.  If you haven't built yourself a better commute/workout/whenever listening experience with Podcasts, you are missing out on a great opportunity!  Here are a few tips to get you started.

Getting Started

Choose a Player. You don't need a smartphone. An old iPod or MP3 player will work. Your desktop computer will work.  Your player and manager don't have to be the same device.  If you have an old iPod Nano for example, you can use iTunes to load it up with Podcasts before going on a run.

Choose a Podcast Manager. Whichever device you choose as your player, you will need an application to manage your subscriptions, take care of downloading files, etc.  If you are using a smartphone, there are a number of apps available to help.  If you are using an iPod or iPhone, iTunes works nicely as a Podcast manager.

• On my Android phones, I love the DoggCatcher app.  I tried a bunch before I found it, and haven't looked at a different one since.  The author has been actively honing his product for years, and I can't begin to recall the number of updates I've received with only a $4.99 initial investment.  
• For iPhone, iPod, or iPad users, here's how to get started with native Apple solutions, and here's what the folks at Lifehacker have to say about the best Podcast manager for iPhone.

Choose some Podcasts.  The Podcast format is really best for great storytelling, documentary-style programs, and interviews. Here are a few lists to help you get started.  There is also a nice one built-in to DoggCatcher.

• Podgallery.org - Nice visual compendium of popular Podcasts, with recommendations.
• Stitcher's List - Top 100 most popular Podcasts accessed via the Stitcher app.
• ITunes Store - for Apple users, access a curated list of Podcasts from around the world.
• Radiotopia - Some of the best story-driven shows out there.  Definitely check out some (or all) of the shows that are part of this collective.  There is a great crowd funding story behind Radiotopia, demonstrative of the surge of interest in quality, off-beat programming.

Some Favorites

• This American Life - great non-fiction storytelling on a wide range of interesting topics. The Podcast is typically an uncensored version of the very popular NPR radio show.
• Radio Lab - sometimes science-focused, but not always.  Still going strong after several years, it's original editing style set the standard for many other radio shows that followed.
• 99% Invisible - 99% Invisible is a tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world. Give it a try, it's really, really good!
• Dan Carlin's Hardcore History - Each episode or series examines an important era of human history in detail.  Dan is a great storyteller, breathing new life into what you may have found to be dull and boring material back in history class.
• Freakonomics Radio - Produced and hosted by Stephen Dubner and Freak-wently featuring his co-author economics professor Stephen Levitt, this show explores "the hidden side of everything".  If you like their books, you will like this one, too.

Finishing Touches

Invest a little time in configuring your chosen Podcast manager application. You can generally set the number of episodes to keep on your device, what to do after you've listened to an episode (e.g. automatically delete), how often to check for new episodes, etc.  It will take a little experimentation and patience to get things set exactly how you like them.

As you learn about new Podcasts to check out, and perhaps decide some you have tried really aren't for you, you'll need to make changes to your configuration.

If you do it right, you'll end up with the equivalent of your own unique, private "radio" station - one with shows that genuinely interest you - refreshed automatically, available anywhere, ready to start, stop and rewind whenever you want.

Show the Love

Although some of these shows are beginning to gain enough popularity to secure sponsors, they really need our help to get off the ground and build the followings needed to attract sponsor interest. Donate what you can to support the ones you like.

Like I mentioned in Cable Cutters: 18 Months Later, it feels good to pay for just what you are using.  You might feel like that morning drive time radio is free, but the time wasted listening to ads is really how you are paying for it.  So trade in that wasted time for some great stories, learn something new, and pitch in a few bucks to show your support.

How do you listen?  What are your favorites?