The Podcast

 

I've been involved with podcasts for several years. Initially, I ran across a social media post that referred to episodes of an old talk show of mine as a podcast.

In truth, they were simply archived episodes that we uploaded to our website. Was it a podcast? I suppose that depends on the definition. Your mileage may vary.

I attempted to really climb into doing one of my own with "Tales From the Booth," which was my attempt to do a podcast on the history of sports broadcasting and play-by-play. I loved the result but the work -- unpaid -- was a lot.

I'd write it, record it, edit it, etc. But one episode could take hours that I didn't have and, eventually, I stopped doing it. It's still in my mind to revive it somehow, even if it becomes less scripted and, as such, easier to produce.

John Nash and I also put "The Owner's Box Horse Racing Podcast" together and that had a better shelf life. Eventually, schedules, work, and so on took a toll. We've also talked about reviving that.

I've been a host on several podcasts, including with Mike Hirn, Ken Keller, and Dan Murphy on the topic of sports and roads (but mostly sports).

I've enjoyed all of them.

In late 2019, I was asked to become the host of "Talent Talks" for Hunt Scanlon Media. It was something that they were considering no longer doing before they realized 1) I can talk a little and 2) I have podcasting equipment.

Now, you all know that I've hosted their conferences since 2017 (and another one is coming next week). But, in truth, I was certainly an outsider. In some ways, I remain one but the podcasts and conferences have helped to educate me on a lot of things in their world.

In terms of the Hunt Scanlon universe, I've hosted several heavy hitters on the podcast, including a few people in business who were once NFL players.

Again, it's not as simple as just turning on a microphone and talking. From start to finish it is scheduling the time to record, reviewing topics, and finalizing everything. Then comes the recording itself. It usually takes no longer than 30 minutes over Zoom.

In truth, I have a free Zoom account and the maximum I can host a meeting is 40 minutes, so the 30-minute recording goal is a smart one.

We tend to keep the shows to generally no more than 20 minutes total but, then again, I don't sit here with a stopwatch telling anyone to wrap up. My message is always the same: I want the guest to be happy with what they said. If I make a mistake, I can fix it in post-production.

But, generally, editing is fast and simple. Occasionally, I don't like something I said and I do re-record myself. Sometimes, the client asks for content to be edited after the fact and I can do that also. 

Regardless, thanks to the efforts of Walker Manning (and, before him, Erik Boender), the podcasts are outstanding in terms of writing and preparation. As for me, I talk, try to make the guest comfortable if needed, and edit it all together.

Of course, there have been stories. There are always stories.

We also adjust on the fly, as is often something I find myself having to do. An example is a recent request that was for either the day of recording or the following day. Time was scheduled, a script was constructed, and we recorded it. Everyone was happy.

And, from what I've heard, the audience has been strong for each episode.

Furthermore, we recently extended the podcast family at Hunt Scanlon with the creation of "Exit Up." 

While these podcasts have allowed me to diversify my own broadcasting portfolio, it's also allowed me to be a bigger part of the Hunt Scanlon family.

You can find the podcasts here and wherever great podcasts are carried!