by Brian Baltosiewich
Podcasting is the Wild Wild West. The new frontier, and because of this there are no rules. This means you can do- or say- almost, anything you want. I spend a lot of time talking with the new podcasters at Radio Exiles about their brand and what they can do in a podcast. One of the things, I think, our podcasters like about having a show here is that there are no PD?s or consultants looking over their shoulder. They?re able to develop their shows any way they like. It?s a freedom most of them didn?t have in terrestrial radio.
In a podcast anything goes, there are no FCC restrictions as far as language or content (yet.) But that doesn?t mean that you should unload a continuous stream of expletives just because you can. You have to stay true to who you are, IF you expect your audience to follow you from commercial radio to podcasting. Stick with me here?
If your radio show was hearts, flowers, rainbows and muffins, maybe a podcast that includes Carlin?s Seven Words and then some isn?t your best option should you want your listeners to follow you to the net. However, if your show was a morning gig where innuendo and fart jokes were the norm, dropping the occasional expletive isn?t that big of a stretch and your audience will probably like you even more now that you?ve been ?unleashed.?
Having said all of that? a podcast is also a great opportunity to reinvent yourself, and burn your connections to whatever you were in commercial radio. Maybe you are an AM host who really wants to get serious and talk about current events, or an afternoon jock on an easy listening station who really wants to unload. Then by all means do it. But understand that you are likely burning a bridge to your previous audience- which may not be a bad thing.
Some of our podcasters, early in the run of their shows, you could tell they weren?t completely comfortable saying some things. That passes fairly quickly, and then there?s a period where they do it too much, and then they back off a bit. Like getting a new toy for Christmas, you play with it non-stop for a month, and then you get accustomed to having it around and let it rest a bit. So it is, really, up to you and what you see as your brand.
A word of caution, though. If making money is your endgame, some advertisers will balk at sponsoring podcasts with what they might think is ?questionable? content. Some will know what they are getting in to and buy in anyway. Then it?s up to you if you want that particular element to influence your content.
Brian Baltosiewich has been a broadcast professional for more than 20 years. His podcast website, www.radioexiles.com features professionally-produced podcasts from radio pro?s who have lost their gigs. Reach out to him at brian@radioexiles.com or through their twitter account @radioexiles and on Facebook at radioexiles.com
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