Hack 43. Syndicate Your Podcasts to the Radio
Using the PRX service, you can play your podcasts on National Public Radio (NPR). The revolution is not yet complete, and in fact it doesn't necessarily ever have to be. Commercial radio might have started to sound stale through relentless consolidation, but public radio in America makes a point to look for new voices and innovative ways of producing audio. A motivated pod-caster can contribute a lot to the community of listeners around a local public radio station, and there's a lotproduction tricks, a community of producersthat the station can give back. And think of the exposure you'd get for your podcast by broadcasting just a single audio segment on a national program. More than 113 million Americans still drive to work, and there's still an FM radio in every car. How do you do this? You can start at the Public Radio Exchange (http://prx.org/). PRX is a web-based marketplace for public radio work. Independent audio producers use PRX to make high-quality audio features and documentaries availablethrough standardized licensing termsto public radio stations. In return, the stations, when they choose to air your work, pay a royalty back out to you through PRX. Benjamen Walker, a public radio producer (who used to be a comic-book artist), began podcasting his experimental weekly half-hour audio show, The Theory of Everything (http://toeradio.org), in September 2004. In April 2005, he was looking at 7,500 downloads a week, but also was reaching hundreds of thousands of additional listeners through a couple of public radio stations, including Chicago Public Radio, which started airing him, through PRX, a half hour after This American Life. And yes, he noticed a traffic spike after his Chicago broadcast debut. Here is a step-by-step guide to getting started:
You're published! A public radio station can pick up your audio and put it on the air. Hack 6.8.1. Producing to TimeThat's not it, of course. As with any other market, you need to look at what the demanders are demanding. Podcasters have the luxury of producing their work as long or as short as the content merits; public radio producers have to fit a clock. Here are some guidelines to follow:
Hack 6.8.2. Get in Touch with Your Local StationPublic radio is largely a donation-driven business that relies heavily on volunteers and the love of the game. Check in with your local public radio station and let them know you have your own studio and are wandering around with a microphone, recording interviews. Tell them you want to produce a series of stories about a local housing development, or contribute a regular essay on local politics. It's harder to volunteer to be a part of the driven, professional staffs of large-market stations such as Boston's WBUR or New York's WNYC, but if you live in a small town, who knows? You might end up with your own show. Brendan Greeley |