The BlogTalkRadio Blog

Those of you that have been watching us for awhile know that we are always making changes to enhance the experience. Those of you that are new to Blogtalkradio, welcome aboard, and enjoy hosting and listening to shows.

We launched Blogtalkradio approximately three months ago and we couldn’t be happier with how things are going. Yes, all of the numbers are growing in terms of hosts, shows, listeners, downloads, uniques, etc. As CEO of Blogtalkradio, I am most excited about the feedback we have been getting from the hosts. We have received so many calls, email’s, im’s etc from BTR hosts thanking us for making this new medium available to anyone with something interesting to say.

Just a few reminders on things we are working on and other recent changes we have implemented.

• All of our shows now begin recording at the scheduled segment starting time.
• You can find your show by going to the URL address found in the host dashboard under profile. For example, my show can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/alanlevy
• We are putting the finishing touches on embedding a player into the host channel. When your audience comes to the host channel, it will not be necessary to hit the “click to listen” button and see the unruly media player pop up.
• We are also working on developing a flash player, so our hosts can play recorded shows from their blog, myspace page or website. Like the Youtube player, our hosts will able easily play or distribute their recorded shows for their own sites.
• We are also putting the finishing touches on the giving hosts the ability to upload mp3 files into their broadcasts. This is a long awaited upgrade and needless to say it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to determine the usefulness of this feature.

Please visit our forum or send your comments to feedback@blogtalkradio.com. We are excited about where we have been and yet we are thrilled to see where we are going.

Alan

On October 19th at 7 PM est., Scott Kesterson an embedded reporter with the US Army’s 41st Brigade in Afghanistan will be calling in live to BlogTalkRadio.com for a one on one interview with David Perlmutter.

This is Scott’s first live interview since being embedded at the beginning of March 2006. Scott will be discussing what is going on in Afghanistan behind the scenes and on the front lines. From his first hand experiences alongside our solders during battle armed with only a camera, to filming our troops training of the Afghanistan National Guard.

Interviewing Scott will be David D. Perlmutter; David is a professor and associate dean for graduate studies and research in the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. He writes regularly for the Chronicle of Higher Education and has published over 130 opinion essays for U.S. and international newspapers. In addition, he is frequently interviewed by wire services, newspapers, magazines, and television media such as the New York Times, National Public Radio, CNN, Reuters, UPI, the AP, and ABC News as well as featured in a number of documentaries.

How to tune into The Words of War.

Stream the show live from your computer by visiting Scott Kesterson’s host channel at www.blogtalkradio.com/kesterson , and dial in live at 646-915-8531 to have the unique ability to talk to Scott live from the frontlines.

About BlogTalkRadio.com

BlogTalkRadio.com helps bloggers and other individuals extend their reach through hosting their own live talk show. People can listen live and call in to comment, interact, and engage the host. All in real-time and all for free. Each host is provided a dedicated phone number for the show and listeners can use any phone, whether land line, cell phone, VOIP, etc. to listen in or to participate. Blogtalkradio enhances traditional podcasting, by allowing live interaction recorded in a downloadable format complete with RSS feeds.

To learn more about the website and upcoming news, visit www.blogtalkradio.com

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In essence, what blogs have done to newspapers, Blogtalkradio will do to radio. We empower bloggers, podcasters or novices to speak and interact with their audience in a real time manner and that conversation is broadcast live to an unlimited number of listeners and than archived with RSS subscription.

Rather than using expensive digital recording equipment, all of our hosts can use any type of phone to broadcast their show.We launched our service less than three months ago and we have more than 600 hosts, covering more than 30 genre’s originating from more than 25 countries.

The uses of this platform are truly endless. Consider the following examples:

The Los Angeles fire department use BTR to reach out to the citizens of L.A. to discuss fire policy, prevention and to interview fire department officers - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=1230

An author interviews other authors, conducts book readings, promotes books etc. - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=3035

A politican could use BTR to conduct town hall meetings where they can take calls from voters, have unlimited global streaming and is archived for distribution

A leading pro Bush political blogger hosting talk shows, taking calls from their audience and speaking with guests - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=2924

University professors can broadcast their classes over the web and students can listen and ask questions from home if they can’t make it to the class.

Comedians or musicians trying out material in front of a live on-line audience - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=2260

An interview with one of the top bloggers in the blogosphere who will take calls from her audience - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/default.aspx.

We encourage everyone to visit Blogtalkradio, listen to a show or perhaps host your own talk show.

It’s called empowerment.

Alan Levy Š

We are absolutely thrilled to have Arianna as a guest on Blogtalkradio. On October 24th at 5:00pm E.T., Arianna will be joining myself and Jaime Mintun to discuss her new book “On Becoming Fearless”.

Arianna is a fascinating and engaging individual who has achieved a great deal of success in so many ways. Her blog, The Huffington Post, according to Technorati, is one of the top 5 blogs in the blogosphere. As a guest on Blogtalkradio, not only will Arianna will be able to take calls from her dedicated fans, the interview will be streamed online. So if you are in L.A., N.Y., London, Tokyo or anywhere else, when Arianna joins us on October 24th at 5:00pm E.T, you can listen live. The live stream as well as the archived show can be found here - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=2826.

In a short time, Blogtalkradio is quickly on its way to defining a new medium. A place where bloggers and podcasters large and small, are empowered to engage their hard fought and dedicated audience live and in real time. We are excited about the possiblities as to where this platform will take all of us and we look forward to working with each of you to make Blogtalkradio the best that it can be.

See you “on-air”

Alan Levy

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This blog is going to cover the Myspace phenomena and how BlogTalkRadio is now giving Myspace bloggers a voice.

Myspace, a social networking site that has reached millions of people, bringing the young together with the older, all in a way we have never dreamed possible. Seasoned poets mentoring young poets, comedians and musicians getting cozy and exchanging banter with their fans, and friends getting in touch after many years of being apart.

The one thing though, that has become a phenomena on Myspace, is blogging. People who have never wrote more then the name on their checks are now penning short stories, poetry, music lyrics and some have even gone as far as posting a chapter of a novel every week.
People blogging as a diary, spilling their inner most thoughts for hundreds of people to read, they do it all, and are able to get feedback from their readers, something they could not do in a spiral bound notebook or in Word for Windows.

But there is something “new” now that has been thrown in the mix, myspace bloggers have been caught up in this new medium called BlogTalkRadio that will surely revolutionize the way bloggers interact with their readers.

In the past few weeks we have seen Myspace’s “The Spork” aka as Georga, and “The Awesome Zara” and “Pony Boy” take on BlogTalkRadio as a way to reach the readers who come to their blogs every day to laugh and have fun. Their readers are now able to call in and talk to them, compared to leaving a comment in a blog. Interactive blogging!! It truly has been amazing.

The Awesome Zara, The Spork, and Pony Boy, whom I have been reading for months, now have a voice and can relay their thoughts with the emotions and sarcasm we have only been able to read till just a few short weeks ago.

Bloggers are taking their love of blogging and bringing it to a whole new level on BlogTalkRadio.
All I have left to say is “who is next”!!! Which bloggers that I have been reading will now give their blog “a voice”.

Amy Domestico
www.blogtalkradio.com
www.thebluedoodle.com