I’m already exhausted by all the insane coverage of the satellite radio merger. And I’m thinking the future of radio will be built from the ground floor–that “chicken’s-eye view” of the world that SMITH believes is the wave of the present and the future of media. Take the just-launched Blogtalkradio, which is part insta-radio show, part podcast. The “host” and the “guest” or “guests” simply call into a dedicated number and have a conversation (just like Imus talking to Hillary Clinton). Anyone can call in during the conversation, the show is saved as a podcast that’s then streamed on BlogTalkRadio’s site, as well as yours if you like. It’s free to create a show and all revenue that’s generated is split between the host and BlogTalkRadio. I just checked out The Words of War, Scott Kesterson’s show about being embedded in Afghanistan (he’s says he’s the longest embed since WWII). Look for SMITH Magazine’s radio station to launch soon, with intimate conversations among some of the best storytellers of our time.

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