| URL | http://www.blogtalkradio.com |
|---|---|
| Commercial? | yes |
| Type of site | social Internet radio network |
| Registration | Free, required to host, optional to listen |
| Owner | Alan Levy and Bob Charish |
| Launched | 2006 |
| Current status | Active |
BlogTalkRadio is a web-based platform that allows callers to host a live call-in Internet broadcast using a computer and a phone.[1] [2] BlogTalkRadio is entirely web-based and requires no client download.[3]
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Howard Kurtz, in his Media Notes column in The Washington Post wrote about BlogTalkRadio that "The process is nearly idiot-proof. The host logs on to a Web page with a password, types in when he wants the show to air, and then -- using a garden-variety phone -- calls a special number. The computer screen lists the phone numbers of guests or listeners calling in, and the host can put as many as six on the air at once by clicking a mouse. Listeners can download a podcast version later."[4]
The service allows up to five callers at a time,[3] although unlimited participants can listen in.[5]
Shows stream directly from the host page during live broadcasts and are archived as podcasts.[3] Previous shows can be streamed, downloaded directly or subscribed to as podcasts via RSS through any podcatcher like Juice or iTunes.[1][2][3]
BlogTalkRadio provides promotional badges and flash player code for placement on blogs, MySpace, Facebook and other Social networking sites.[2][6]
As of February 1st, 2011, only the 30-minute service will be free. To host a show for an hour or more, there will be a monthly fee.[4][5]
BlogTalkRadio has been called "a populist force in cyberspace."[4]
Condé Nast Portfolio referred to BlogTalkRadio as a site that "has become the dominant player in the latest media trend, one that allows anyone with a Web connection to host a talk show on any topic at any time of day. It is the newest form of new media; the audio version of the internet blog."[7] In the same article, however, the profitability of the service was called into question as BlogTalkRadio was then operating at a loss."[7]
After setting up a blog to update his family on his ailing father, Alan Levy, a former accountant and telecommunications executive, launched the service in August, 2006, as a way to allow bloggers to communicate directly with their audiences in real time.[4][6]
Called "the simplest podcast API ever,"[8] Cinch allows anyone to dial the Cinch number and record a podcast with a built in RSS feed without any preregistration or prior setup.[9] [10]
In 2010, the company launched Cinchast which is an audio platform for their enterprise clients. It makes it easy for you to create, distribute, measure, and monetize online audio content and communications. It’s the only content creation platform to stream interactive webcasts and podcasts using just a phone and a web browser.