Episode 10: Radio & Podcasts

Podcast: Episode #010

Subtitle: Radio & Podcasts

Post Date: November 11, 2018

Hosts: Andrew James, Eric D. & Mel Allen

Show Notes: Co-hosts Andrew James (@OneWhoSeesDimly) and Eric D. (@HopSnobbery) once again welcome The Voice of God, Mel Allen (@TheRealVoiceMel) and launch Episode 010 of Riff On, planning to talk solely about podcasts and podcasting...our new on demand lifestyle.

Eric D., after going to school and having a radio background, wishes there was more music-based podcasts. However, due to music licensing and copyrighting, it's not as common as talk-based podcasts.

Andrew immediately brings up Mike Luoma, who posts year end best of music lists and he had hoped that Mike would play them on his podcast, (Glow In the Dark Radio).  Mike is a Vermont radio staple, who recently was let go at The Point FM 104.7, and was once at WIZN 106.7, where Mel now hosts his own show on weeknights called, Highway to Mel.  Mike writes books (the Vatican Assassin series and more) and is now on noontime on Burlington's web-based radio station, WBKM.org. 

Eric D. put in time at WEZF 92.9 (now Star 92.9) and WWPV after interning for Corm and the Coach at WIZN, a show which Mel produced for over two years.  Corm and the Coach were legendary Vermont broadcasters led by Steve Cormier and Tom "The Coach" Brennan, former head coach of the University of Vermont Catamounts men’s basketball team. Eric D. and Mel both worked with Earl "The Duke" Handy (now owner ofHandy's Lunch), Ian Kelly, and Bill "The Rocker" Corbeil (RIP).

Mel goes into his radio background, which started originally in 1987, on WJSC at Johnson State College. His one taught lesson was "No Dead Air" and despite having some speech difficulties earlier in his life, he went on-air with a friend and when that friend froze on an open microphone, he slid in front of the microphone and jumped right in. 30+ years later, Mel has worked for an oldies station, classic rock radio, top 40, chart hit radio, Album Oriented Rock, Adult Contemporary, and country radio. 

Every Riff On podcast seems to have a backdrop of great Vermont beer.  Burlington Beer Company's Chunky & Jelly gets a shoutout. The boys started with Farnham Ale's Mr. Fox red ale and Foley Brothers Prawpah Ruby was also consumed early on.

Andy calls out Eric's radio jargon when he questions what a skimmer tape was after Eric recollects his college radio show 'Sight for Sore Ears', which he co-hosted with his college radio roommate Dennis from Calais, ME. Eric's other college radio experience was four years on WWPV, St. Michael's College Radio, called "Let it Roll", from 1998 to 2002, where he played live, improvisational, groove jam, years ahead of Sirius/XM and their Jam On station. 

Seemingly, no radio DJ likes to hear his voice, no matter how much or little they talk when they turn on the mic.  And ironically, podcasts are all about talking, and Mel and Eric D. and Andy all host or co-host multiple podcasts at times. 

Mel's history in podcasting goes back before it was even labeled podcasting.  He was recording audio and sending them through AOL instant message and other platforms to troops during Desert Storm, which was Aug 2, 1990 – Feb 28, 1991. He then progressed into sports radio accidentally and co-hosted 'Sports Talk with the Chat Pack' in Burlington. His experience there led him to being head-hunted to host a podcast for the Lingerie Football League (now Legends Football League) with his Chat Pack co-host. The Lingerie Football League website had 3 million hits a day during the off-season and 12 million hits a day during the season and when Mel told his co-host that if they even got 5% of those numbers, they could quit their day jobs, the co-host called the Owner of the Lingerie Football League and asked for more money. Three times. The Owner fired his Co-host and offered the podcast to Mel on his own and uncomfortable in hosting three days before the launch, Mel had to pull out and he eventually sold his half of the company to this co-host.

Talk then turns to music and podcast delivery and how technology has changed how we get what we listen to - from reel to reel to digital tape to digital recording and now instant delivery. Andy is a big Bill Simmons and The Ringer podcast fan and discusses how Bill wanted to bring podcasting to ESPN when he was still there. He eventually did, but spoke not too nicely about Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, and was shown the door. Andy states that it’s not just the technology, but its having the network in the palm of your hand. 

Andy's favorite podcasts are 'The Last Podcast on the Left', 'Underwater Sunshine', which is the Counting Crows podcast. All of the guys are Counting Crows fan and Eric D. recollects how he got his promotional copy of 'August and Everything After' in Fall of 1993 and seeing them on David Letterman's Tonight Show for the first time, an episode that Madonna was on very stoned. 

Podcasts have really raised in popularity since the introduction of iPhones and our constant data connection. NPR has really helped bring podcasting to the mainstream with their recording and posting of their standard shows and making them available as podcasts. NPR's Serial is one podcast that really comes to mind as to what really launched podcasts to the mainstream public, which launched in the Fall of 2014. 

Eric D. talks about some of the podcasts that he's listened to since he got into listening to them, including the first season of 'Startup', which was about the founding of Gimlet Media. 'Reply All' is a Gimlet Media podcast, and Alex Blumberg, co-host of 'Reply All', trended on Twitter this week with her Podcast Bingo. The squares are a must read if you are a podcast fan. (SHOW NOTES EDIT OF THE PODCAST! @AlexLaughs is actually NOT Alex Blumberg, but is (female) Alex Sujong Laughlin, producer of @transmitterpods)

Before Eric D. did launch a podcast, he guested on the Off the Table podcast with Pauly V. where they discussed how to setup and launch a podcast.  You can find that on YouTube here.  

So, Eric D. finally started a podcast a year ago, as he launched the Let's Fix Construction podcast with Cherise Lakeside, his co-founder of LetsFixConstruction.com  You can find it at www.LFCpodcast.com

Mel had previously launched The GR802 Podcast, but just pivoted to videos on YouTube.  He's visiting locations and will be recording video and you can visit it at www.gr802.com

Andrew James co-hosts The Local Haunt with Carrie Henry, where they host local singers and songwriters onFacebook

The last beer that the boys enjoyed was Bent Hill Brewery's Gracious Thoughts, a juniper berry chaga imperial black IPA. The podcast was quickly wrapped up because the boys had to pee!

Thank you for tuning in and be sure to give us a follow on Twitter or Instagram at @RiffOnPodcast and a like on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RiffOnPodcast

Stream this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ININBHf6XE