These reports on WNBC-TV (6:20 on Thursday mornings and 5:20 on Monday evenings) and WNBC.com/technology bring you tips and tricks to make use of  technology all around you. Please send feedback by using this form.

[Listen to a special BTR webcast with me with some of the WNBC crew. We were on live from 7-8 am and had people from across the tri-state area join us. To hear the recording, please go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sreetips/2008/04/24/Tech-Chat-with-WNBC-Viewers.
We had such a good response, we will be doing it next Thursday, May 1 from 7-8 am EST, as well. Just us by going to http://www.wnbc.com/technology or calling into 347-324-5985 during that hour.]

BlogTalkRadio.com (BTR) is trying to do for audio and web radio what blogging did for text - completely revolutionize it. This is a free service that allows anyone to go online and host a web radio talk show. The audience listens in on their computers (no download required) or can call-in live into a NYC number. It has a switchboard (just like radio) and upto six people can be "on the air" at the same time. Your on-air guests need to only be near a cell or landline to participate. An unlimited number of people can listen live on their computers or via the phone.

The service is very Web 2.0ish and well executed. One of my favorite features is that it gives you a free, MP3 recording of each show that people can listen to on their own time and post/embed on other sites. The "long-tail effect" - lots of folks listening over a longer period of time - is one of the most appealing parts of BTR. It's hard to believe all this is free - the company makes money through advertising and private-label versions of its service for corporations and others.

John McCain, Brad Pitt and other celebs have been on shows on BTR and have been interviewed on it. I  have been playing with the technology for a couple of months now and been very impressed with the ease of use for both the hosts and the listeners. I use it as part of my work with SAJA, the South Asian Journalists Association (see our shows); my SreeTips.com tech tips site (see my shows); and, more recently, to extend the reach of Columbia Journalism School (see our shows).

This is a small company created by New Jersey businessman Alan Levy and his partner, Bob Charish, and has what appears to be unlimited potential. After all, there are millions of Rush Limbaugh or Al Franken wannabes out there. Of course, just because everyone CAN be a radio host doesn't mean everyone SHOULD. I always say about blogs that the vast majority of them are read only by the writer and his mother, and with these open radio shows, it's the same way. The popular appeal of most BTR shows is limited, but it's the enthusiasm and the potential that got me.

They have hosted more than 60,000 shows in the last year or so - and some hosts have thousands of listeners. The site averages 2.4 million listeners a month.

One of the stars is a woman named Marla who's known as "The Fly Lady" - she has thousands of followers and listeners - for her tips on taking control of your life, cleaning up your home, controlling you finances,
etc. She does her shows from North Carolina and has fans around the world.

This is all part of the growing "citizen broadcasting" movement (a subset of citizen journalism, which is mostly blog-based). There are now services that allow anyone to have their own video shows at no charge. Thse include Mogulus.com and LiveVideo.com, which I will review at length on a future program.

Listen to my recent BTR show with founder Alan Levy and the Fly Lady to learn more about the service.

[Listen live to a special BTR webcast with me from 7-7:30 am EST this Thursday morning - and ask your questions about technology trends and more. Please go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sreetips/2008/04/24/Tech-Chat-with-WNBC-Viewers]

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