CoasterBuzz Podcast #142 posted

I know some other podcasts I listen to have a simultaneous chat while they record so their audience can respond in some part with factual info. (though RCDB does a fine job of that) and with feedback.

Yeah, there's the whole TWiT live chat thing, and honestly, it's pretty terrible. I agree that some kind of live interactivity would be cool, but I'm not sure that's it. That, and I can't afford the bandwidth to do any real live streaming. My upstream is terrible here.

Jeff said:
Yeah, there's the whole TWiT live chat thing, and honestly, it's pretty terrible. I agree that some kind of live interactivity would be cool, but I'm not sure that's it. That, and I can't afford the bandwidth to do any real live streaming. My upstream is terrible here.

My idea would be to do a mail bag segment where any errors or other opinions can be heard in the next episode. Controlled, simple, and moderated.

On the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption (PTI) they have a guy (Tony Reali) at the end correct any facts that were falsely given. I think it would be cool to have someone like that chime in at the end of the show and say "so and so coaster opened in 1994, not 1991 like ... said. Price of a one day ticket at Disney is now ..., not..." Information that could quickly be looked up during the recording process. Just my two cents.

I'm not a huge sports fan, but I am a big PTI fan.

Tony also hosts "Around The Horn" which airs before PTI. I always thought the Around The Horn format would work perfectly for a video podcast. Coaster dorks talking dorky coaster crap in that format would be awesome.

I love both of those shows so any ideas you can borrow from them would be awesome. Who gets to play the part of Tony Reali and score the arguments?

A major problem with trying to do live interaction, particularly if it is not call-in guests but rather a live chat, is that the presenters have enough to do trying to keep the conversation going, without also trying to read a live chat window.

Interesting, somebody suggested the CoasterBuzz podcast as the NPR of coaster news...dare I point out that on both Morning Edition and on All Things Considered, the program hosts read the program credits live? In fact, the only thing that gets an alternate voice is the funding credit voiced by Frank Tavares and played back from tape (or something that behaves like tape). All other announcements are done by the program hosts. And outside of the news programs, even the underwriting announcements are done by the program hosts.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Hell, I'll take a comparison to NPR, even with goofy stuff like this. I liked this story in Fast Company about how NPR has been growing by leaps and bounds above mainstream media, in part because of, you guessed it, their online content. NPR is one of the few things left worth listening to on public airwaves, unfortunately.

Speaking of NPR, I love "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and "This American Life" they have turned both shows into weekly podcasts that I listen to every week.

This American Life = Amazing. Love it.

Here's another Family Guy radio moment (same episode, I believe):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws58s9wzYsA

I thought that This American Life <> NPR

(This American Life = Chicago Public Radio, distributed through PRI, which shares space with NPR on the PRSS, and is heard on public radio stations, but is not NPR)

(Sorry; I worked for a public radio station for a few years, back when PRI was still APR...)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Would it be possible to get some of the designers on the air. That is one thing that seems missing from just about everywhere. We always hear the park's opinions of the rides but very rarely do we hear the designer's opinions of their coasters. Just an idea.

We've had The Gravity Group on, but you know, it's not like designers are ever going to say they didn't build a good ride for one of their clients.

Well I mean't more along the lines of stories about the process and stuff. Not just them promoting it themselves. Perhaps what I am trying to say is more technical details of the ride? Well what I get from park promoters of most newer rides seems more ooh and aahhs. Granted they are talking to the general public. More of a voice directed to the coaster enthusiasts?