Internet Radio - Going Beyond Blogs As Another Mass Medium Gets Micro

By George McKenzie

The buzz is all about blogs this year, with thousands being
created every day. Websurfers have realized that anyone with
a bit of information, an opinion or an idea can attract an
audience--sometimes a very large audience.

But now blogs may not be the only mass medium that's going
"micro."

Here comes Internet Radio...

"It's hard to believe," says Randy Gilbert, host of "The
Inside Success Secrets Radio Show"--an Internet radio
broadcast which has been "airing" for several years. "Now
anyone with a computer, an internet connection and a
microphone can create an Internet radio program. And tt's
not nearly as hard as most people think. You really don't
have to be some kind of techno-geek to do it."

A number of established media giants, like Entrepreneur
Magazine, already "broadcast" business-related programming
over the net. But it's the opportunity for "the little guy"
to start producing programs that intrigues Gilbert.

Will Internet Radio Replace Blogs?

Blogs have "leveled the playing field" in the world of print
media. Some blogs have more daily readers than many medium-
sized metro newspapers.

Single individuals, sitting at home in front of their
computer in their pajamas, can compete with media giants in
the battle for the minds and hearts of hundreds of thousands
of websurfers.

Bloggers may have even had an impact on the last
presidential election.

Bloggers were the first to zero in on suspicious information
in CBS' now-infamous story about President Bush's military
record. The inaccuracies in the story, and the embarrassment
that followed, may have hastened the departure of Dan Rather
from the evening anchor chair.

"Lots of radio and TV news programs now regularly report
what's being written in political blogs," according to Chip
Tarver, an Internet expert whose business-to-business
publicity blog regularly appears at the top of many search
engine rankings. "Some cable network news shows even have
regular daily segments where they talk about what bloggers
are saying."

Some experts have speculated if a similar phenomenon could
happen soon with Internet Radio: a traditional mass medium
which is becoming a "micro medium" as more and more people
are producing up their own Internet radio programs. But
Gilbert doesn't think so.

"Internet radio will probably never become as popular or as
'grassroots' as blogging has become," he says. "And you may
not have Internet radio stars who will compete with over-
the-air personalities like Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly.
But radio is a very conversational and intimate medium. You
can not only show people what you know, but you can also
give them a glimpse of who you are in a way that's hard to
duplicate in a print interview. If you have something worth
saying, radio is a great vehicle for saying it."

"Best of all," he continues, "there's practically no expense
involved. You can do it for pennies."

And Internet Radio Can Make Money Too

Gilbert adds that online "micro-broadcasters" are finding
ways to add to the bottom line, like over-the-air stations.
"You can be extremely profitable with as few as five
thousand listeners," he says.

Gilbert also teaches a course for anyone who wants to learn
to make money by creating their own Internet Radio Show.
Learn more about "Internet Radio Secrets" at
http://www.publicity-pro.com/internetradiosecrets

For additional information about how to use internet radio
to market yourself or your business, visit
http://www.publicity-pro.com/internetradio

George McKenzie is a retired TV anchor and radio talk show host. He often contributes articles to Speech Tips and Tools, where you'll find more information and advice about making a speech and public speaking