?
Paul Aflalo, left and Matt Goldberg of No More Radio: ?We?re not going to compete with any radio stations ? that?s not our goal in any way,? Aflalo says. ?Our goal was to build something a little bigger than what we were doing in the college radio sphere.?
Photograph by: Marie-France Coallier , The Gazette
MONTREAL ? Edge of the City is a local independent weekly arts and culture program created by Paul Aflalo and was originally broadcast on CJLO, Concordia?s campus radio station. But for the past year, Aflalo, along with co-hosts Matt Goldberg, Al Lafrance and Kirsten Rasmussen, can be heard exclusively online every Monday or any time by downloading the weekly podcast.
For the uninitiated, podcasts are essentially audio files, distributed over the Internet and downloaded by anyone, anywhere.
A quick search in the iTunes store, one of the main discovery points for podcasts, reveals hundreds of shows, including CBC Radio?s Vinyl Cafe Stories and Q, the fourth and sixth most downloaded podcasts in North America, respectively. Podcasting gives the CBC and other broadcasters an opportunity to reach a much broader audience than traditional radio. It also opens up a world of opportunity for independent audio enthusiasts. All that?s required is a microphone, simple editing software and an Internet connection.
Last November, Aflalo and his co-hosts made the decision to take their show off the airwaves, making it available exclusively on the Internet as a weekly podcast.
?We?re not going to compete with any radio stations ? that?s not our goal in any way,? Aflalo said. ?Our goal was to build something a little bigger than what we were doing in the college radio sphere.?
With access to a global audience, Aflalo is now taking steps to grow his audience and those of other local podcasters with the creation of No More Radio.
?It came as a bit of a flash,? said Aflalo, who, along with his Edge of the City collaborators, hatched a plan to develop a Montreal podcast network by joining forces with other shows in the city in the spirit of a community-based collective. The idea of the network is to bring the voices, talents and creative energy of Montreal?s bustling arts community under one roof.
?We decided that we wanted to grow our show beyond college radio,? Aflalo said. ?By moving off and branching out on our own, we gave ourselves complete freedom. CJLO was amazing to us and we will forever be grateful for all the experiences we had while there, but now it?s time to grow, evolve and create something new.?
The main advantage of collaboration is that while each individual show has its own niche and draws its own specific audience, No More Radio makes it easy for listeners to discover something that they might not have otherwise been exposed to.
Although Aflalo and his cohorts would eventually like to generate some revenue through sponsorship, the primary goal right now is to grow their audience by engaging the community.
?For the podcasters it?s a way to collaborate together, promote each other under one name and help each other grow,? Aflalo said.
In addition to the weekly two-hour Edge of the City show, the network launches this month with four additional podcasts.
Dirty Feet, a weekly dance-themed podcast covering everything from burlesque to tango, offers a peek into the world of dance in Montreal and beyond.
?With the new format, we have more control and more flexibility allowing for longer interviews,? said Allison Burns, one of the shows four co-hosts. ?You get to go a little deeper into the details of the creative process.?
The Illa Fabulis podcast, a monthly program, is a show about well-known and up-and-coming Canadian women of interest. It is based on the website of the same name and is hosted by founder Angela MacKenzie. Recent guests include comedian and former war-crimes tribunal lawyer Jess Salomon and award-winning fiction writer Madeleine Thien.
Confabulation: The Podcast, based on the popular Montreal monthly storytelling event hosted by Matt Goldberg, will feature a recorded story from the live show, interviews with the raconteur and additional material.
On Repeat, a music discovery show hosted by Dave Cool (yes, that?s his real name), will be available once a month. When he hears a song he really likes, Cool becomes addicted to it and literally puts it on repeat. Each show includes an original play list and an accompanying in-depth interview with one of the featured artists.
Although No More Radio is billed as the Montreal podcast network, the intention is to eventually grow beyond and expand to other cities.
?We?re starting off with five local podcasts, but we have every intention of growing beyond that.?
No More Radio launches Saturday with a live Edge of the City podcast at Montreal Improv Theatre, 3713 St. Laurent Blvd. Lineup includes music, comedy and storytelling with performances from Ira Lee, The Bawdy Electric, Dan Bingham and Taylor Tower. Doors open at 9:30 p.m., show at 10 p.m. Suggested donation $8. Visit nomoreradio.com for details.
? Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
?
?
?
?
?
?
chris cooley condoleezza rice Perry Hall High School bill cosby us open bill nye Hurricane Isaac 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.