The Interview Cast

Okay, so you want to do a podcast, but try as you may, you can't get anyone you know to commit to being your co-host. What are you to do? Well, you could always interview people you do not know. Think Jon Stewart, David Lettermen, Inside the Actors Studio, Fresh Air, and Space Ghost Coast to Coast. There are plenty of examples to borrow from in the broadcast world, and Table 3.7 highlights some of the more popular ones. If done well, the interview cast can be one of the most interesting podcasts out there. If done poorly, it can be the worst (more on that in Chapter 7, "The Art of the Interview"). What follows is a small list of some of those that do it well.

Table 3.7. Popular Interview Podcasts

Host(s)	Podcast	Website URL
Rob Walch	podCast411	www.podcast411.com
Wichita Rutherford	5 Minutes with Wichita	www.5minuteswithwichita.com
Greg Demetrick	5 Questions	www.5questions.net
Bazooka Joe	Small World	www.smallworldpodcast.com
J.A. Donnelly	MadPod	www.madpod.com

podCast411

Hosted by Rob Walch (co-author of this book), this podcast has been described as Inside the Actors Studio, except for podcasting. Rob releases two shows a week that typically run 20 to 25 minutes an episode. The show is G-rated.

"This is the show to get the 411 (information) on podcasters, podcasts, and podcasting. I try to mix in the most popular podcasts with up-and-coming or very niche podcasts to learn what makes their podcasts work. Why they are podcasting, how they produce, how they promote, and if applicable how they monetize their shows. The beginning of each show is news and tech tips, and then we get into the interview that lasts about 15 minutes, and at the end play a promo and some listener feedback. While our show is G-rated, many of our guests' shows are notbut that is what editing is all about."

Rob Walch, podCast411

5 Minutes with Wichita

Although this podcast could just as easily be placed in the Comedy section, it is at its heart an interview show. It just happens to be the funniest interview show anywherein broadcast radio and podcasting. Which is why Wichita Rutherford was the first podcaster signed to a Sirius Satellite deal, even before Adam Curry and Podshow. He releases one show a week and, you guessed it, it is 5 minutes long. The show is G-rated, and Wichita proved that you can be funny (very funny) without using the F-word.

Tip

This is one of those handful of shows for which you should know the website address by heart. This way, when friends, family, co-workers, or total strangers ask about podcasting, you have one that you can send them to for their first taste.

"5 Minutes with Wichita is a 5-minute interview show where I go all over the world and talk to all kinds of famous folks. Bluegrass stars, NASCAR drivers, actors, country stars, and rock stars."

Wichita Rutherford, 5 Minutes with Wichita

Wichita brings in some incredible guests (Charlie Daniels, Junior Johnson, Ricky Skaggs) and has a unique and hilarious interview style. This show may not be for everyone, because not everyone has a sense of humor. Many podcasters can learn a lot from this podcastjust because you can drop the F-bomb and worse on a podcast does not mean you have to.

5 Questions

Greg Demetrick is the host and producer of this show. Greg releases two shows a week. The first one is a short 5-to-10-minute show that gives the five questions for the week and invites listeners to answer them. The second show is the main show, and it runs 35 to 45 minutes in length and consists of answers from listeners and an interview with one specific guest. This show is PG-rated.

"When you look at Blogger or LiveJournal, a lot of people blog there not so much to get their ideas out but to start a conversation with somebody through notes or through comments. I was like, How do we take this concept and apply it to a radio show? For me, the answer was simple: Take the listener out of the position of being a listener and put them in the position of being the content provider. Because what they have to say is far more interesting than anything I could make up. So that is really where the idea was born."

Greg Demetrick, 5 Questions

Small World

Bazooka Joe hosts this podcast where he interviews everyday people. He releases a new show about six times a week. The length of each episode varies from 15 minutes to an hour, but most shows fall in the 20-to-30-minute range.

"I talk to people from all walks of life from all over the world, and that can be dentists, it can be musicians, it can even be drunken sandwich makers."

Bazooka Joe, Small World

MadPod

J.A. Donnelly hosts this podcast with help from Shadoe Steele. They feature podsafe music and rare interviews. The show is released three times a week, and the length of each episode is 20 to 25 minutes. The show is PG-rated.

"Our show consists of interviews from the past and present. We have thousands of interviews that we did with celebrities over the past 25 years. And Madpod is conducting new interviews weekly, sometimes up to seven. We have everybody, except the Beatles and Elvis."

J.A. Donnelly, MadPod

Asking the Tough Questions

Wichita shows us with his show that an interview can be funny, entertaining, and informative in just 5 minutes. Bazooka Joe shows us that an interview done well with good prep work can turn any average everyday person into a fascinating guest. Listen to these shows and ask yourself, Does the host sound like he or she is interrogating the guests or does the host sound like he or she is just having fun with the guests? The goal for any interviewer should be to inform as well as entertain the audience. When you can do both, you will capture your listeners' attention.

If you're fired up to put together your own interview-based podcast, be sure to check out Chapter 7.