Faced with the reality that communication is about being understood, and a desire to include our PNG friends with announcements and what is going on, I have begun a streaming INTRANET radio channel. (only available internally to where we live, not on the internet).
It's not a podcast, it's a LIVE radio show that records itself and then re-broadcasts the recording on loop with music.
Here's how I do it:
-I am using Audacity at the heart. Check my levels, record the show, using a USB mic headset in.
-I am using a Barix Instreamer as the streaming/live converting unit. I have my computer's headphone jack out going to the Barix in.
-The Barix sends it's stream to a shoutcast server I built on Ubuntu linux, which serves out a url that people can click on to listen.
-Because I'm using the barix, I can use iTunes to play the music, other software to play sound effects or whatever I want... if I can make it come out of my speakers, it can go on the air.
-after the show goes OFF air from being live, I move the headphone jack from my pc, to an ancient ipod I have synced, which starts playing the playlist on loop. The ipod is almost useless for anything else because it has no battery charge, but it plays a playlist on loop, and so, I have found a use for this old piece of hardware.
If you were to look at my computer you'd have no idea it was a radio station. That's because the hardware I put together for it, fits in ziplock baggie, it's so portable. The idea is that since it's a DHCP unit, streaming to a STATIC linux server, it can be anywhere with a network connection.
This means I can recruit neighbors and friends to be guest DJ's.
Right now I'm using it to announce important items, community bulletins, etc.
Test audiences seem to like it... they like the idea of not having to READ all of the announcements, and having something they can listen to while doing other things.
For me, it's just a fun creative outlet, I do it at lunch time, on a lark. We'll see if it takes off and if people tune in.
