Podcast Pickle Resetting the Favorites

Yes friends, it's that time again. July 2nd that fab directory Podcast Pickle is resetting the favorites in everyone's account. Why do they do this? Well, for several reasons. One, to weed out the podcasts that might have faded over the past 6 months, and also to give new podcasts a chance to get themselves on the top 100 list. Basically, it gives everyone a fair shake. It also gives the listener a chance to go through their favorites and see if anything has changed in their listening as well. (It happens, trust me.)

This re-setting happens every January and July. This time it's a little different because the Pickle is retiring its "Hall of Fame" and those shows will once again be eligible to make it into the top 100.

So head to the pickle and write down all your favorites this weekend- so you can easily re-add them again!

Nearly completely off-topic...

Nearly. ;-)

Rare red pandas born at Edmonton Zoo

Last Updated: Friday, June 29, 2007 | 12:18 PM MT

CBC News

Zookeepers across the continent are celebrating the birth of two extremely rare red pandas at Edmonton's Valley Zoo.

The cubs, which were born at 3:26 a.m. Tuesday, are part of a very small population of red pandas in the world. It's estimated that there are fewer than 2,500 red pandas alive in the wild because the animals' natural habitat in China, India and Nepal is being destroyed.

Two rare red pandas were born at the Valley Zoo in Edmonton Tuesday. Zookeepers say the births are critical to the species' survival.
(Valley Zoo)

Forty red pandas are being raised in zoos. The Valley Zoo has joined an international breeding program in an effort to keep the species alive.

"They're a species survival program animal," said Sandy Helliker, an animal health technologist at the zoo who is taking care of the cubs. "So the species is managed so that hopefully at some point, they'll be able to be re-introduced into the wild."

Currently, the cubs are being kept away from the parents because the mother, Lala, was over grooming them and causing lacerations.

Helliker has spent several sleepless nights this week hand-feeding the cubs, who need to eat every three hours. It's not an easy task, she said.

"It's sort of like raising a baby," said Helliker. "It's very tiring. Actually, I think it's more tiring than when I raised my two kids."

The two new cubs won't be released back into the wild. However, their offspring could be.

"We know that some of these species that are being bred will eventually end up back in the wild, and that's really important to us," said Jan Archbold, a spokesperson for the zoo.

It will be about three months before the cubs will be on display with their parents, Koko and Lala.

The zoo will hold a contest this summer to name the pandas.

"It's hard to not get attached to something so little and cute," Helliker said.

It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's Super- uh, Pal?

A little cross-posting. My review on SFF Audio of awesome Great Northern Audio work!

The Saving of the World: Super Pal (Includes Jewels of the 11th Generation)
By Great Northern Audio Theatre; Performed by a FULL CAST
1 CD - Approx. 70 minutes [LIVE AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Great Northern Audio
Published: 2005/2006
Themes: / Fantasy / Comedy / Superheroes / Meteors / Jewels / Space Travel / Children / Squeak Toys / Computers

A comet is heading towards Big City, but is it a job for Super Pal?

Great Northern Audio brings you the tale of the blue-glowing superhero, as told from those closest to him. The nurse who helped birth him, the girlfriend who likes the cape (nudge-nudge), his best friend growing up, even the crooks he brought down.

Meanwhile, the comet comes closer, and Super Pal is nowhere to be found. The mayor begins to look at other superheroes, but no help is available. One kinked their back while lugging an oil rig across the desert, and another is expecting a baby and is on light duty. You know, bank robbers.

What to do? Well, Super Pal does have a weakness for cats in trees….

The CD also includes The Jewels of the 11th Generation, a story of two zany treasure-hunters looking for the ultimate treasure. They certainly find more than that! Children, pirates- and… squeak toys? But where are the jewels? This is also a lot of fun and well-written. Mix that with excellent acting, including the talents of David Ossman of Firesign Theatre, and you know exactly why I enjoyed it so much.

These performances were a lot of fun. I loved the documentary-style interviews in telling the tale of Super Pal, and the jokes in Jewels made me laugh out loud a couple of times! Very witty, and hearing the audience respond now and then in the background really made it all the more enjoyable. For a live performance, it has a better sound than a lot of in-studio performances. A very enjoyable hour!

Both SuperPal and Jewels of the 11th Generation were part of live Great Northern Audio performances in 2005 and 2006. Definitely worth going over to Great Northern’s website and getting a copy today!

Second Shift Season Two Premieres Tonight

"Three college students from Boston find themselves mysteriously summoned to another world.... and chaos ensues. " ;-)

That is the WAY short version of what Second Shift is about. I like to think of it as three students end up in a RPG universe. Either way, it's a great story, and the long-awaited second season is going to premiere tonight!

----
"Don't miss the online SEASON TWO RELEASE PARTY tonight!

We're going to kick off the season by holding a live chat where fans can talk with cast and crew while listening to the season premiere. Ever watched a TV show while talking on IM with a friend about it? This is just like that. We will release the episode during the chat, so everyone can download, listen and type "OMG!" together!

The chat will start between 9:00-9:15 p.m. EST, so show up then to make sure everyone's in. At 9:30, we'll release the episode on our site, and listen together.

To join the chat:
1) Go to http://chat.efnet.org
2) Enter whatever you want as a user name
3) Select "Other" on the menu
4) Type in "#secondshiftreleaseparty" in the dropdown

Or, if you're familiar with IRC, just join "#secondshiftreleaseparty" on efnet.

We'll see you there!"

----
What a great idea- reminds me of my old Tuesday night routine when Dave and I would listen and chat together during Sonic Society... it's fun to listen that way, and share the love of audio cinema.

Mark Time/ Ogle Award Winners Announced!

Presented by The American Society For Science Fiction Audio
(ASFSFA)


The winners of the Mark Time/Ogle Awards have been officially announced! Boy it was difficult keeping my mouth shut for so long!

Mark Time Awards / Ogle Awards
Winners - 2007
Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Audio Production
http://www.greatnorthernaudio.com/MarkTime/MarkTime.html

Mark Time Award
SILVER

Through the Turnstiles
Produced by Sam A. Mowry
Written by Carole Dane
Willamette Radio Workshop
www.radiowork.com

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Canadia: 2056
Produced by Joe Mahoney
Written by Matt Watts
CBC Radio A & E
www.assortednonsense.com

Tears of the Tin God
Produced by Richard Sellers
Story by T. Ray Gordon
www.apexaudiotheatre.com

Ogle Award
GOLD

God of the Razor
Produced by Scott Hickey
Story by Joe R. Lansdale
The Grist Mill
www.amfmtheater.com
and
Dandelion Wine
Produced by Jerry Robbins, & Mark Vander Berg
Script by Ray Bradbury
The Colonial Radio Theatre On the Air
www.colonialradio.com

SILVER

HURF
Produced by Sam A. Mowry
Written by Craig Kenworthy
Willamette Radio Workshop
www.radiowork.com

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
In Science Fiction Audio

* Norman Corwin
* Ray Bradbury

A Gold and a Silver Mark Time Award, and a Gold and a Silver Ogle Award, will be awarded at CONvergence,, July 6-7-8 of 2007.

Casting Call for New Fan-fic Audio Drama!

This looks to be fun- Buffy Between the Lines is now having open auditions for their new audio drama!

"Buffy Between the Lines is a serialized, podcast fanfic audio drama written, produced and created by fans for fans. Each season will bring you 12 (or so) episodes in classic radio drama fashion. "

Head over to the link and get all the details today! Auditioning goes until July 18th.

Decoder Ring's Summer Showcase Begins

Decoder Ring Theatre is now proud to present its audio drama Summer Showcase, featuring work from several writers from around the internets.

"This week, the Summer Showcase is proud to present The Magic of the Movies by Tim Prasil. A tale of suspense told late at night around a Hollywood bar... A tale of fame and fortune lost, and a terrible secret found. The sad ramblings of a forgotten man? You be the judge..."

For the rest of the summer schedule, head to Decoder Ring's podcast site for all the details!

Sonic Cinema Unveils Another Sin

It has always been a toss-up for this audio addict which Shadowlands Theatre production of the Seven Deadly Sins is her favorite (technically there are 6 though. I don't believe the 7th was ever written). It was either The Hitchhiker (which covered wrath, or anger), or this one, And Low Thou I Walk, which covers Pride.

This one features a stellar performance from the writer himself. It's definitely worth checking out in its original form, as I hear they are cutting it down for their Dead Line series. It just won't be the same.

For the old fans, such as myself, take the time and be a little nostalgic for the good old days! Good old days meaning, three years ago, LOL!

Some of the hottest ladies in podcasting

Podcast Fresh did an entry with who they say are the four hottest female podcasters. I felt they were missing a few, especially since I had only heard of one of them, and do not listen/watch any of those shows.
So, in no particular order, allow me to add to the list:

*Grammar Girl: With well over a million downloads of her podcast, several national newspaper and magazine articles written about her, and an appearance on Oprah, Mignon is definitely a hot podcaster! In terms of content, her show has no boundaries, as everyone uses and needs grammar tips!

*Mighty Mommy: And while I'm on the QDNow site, there is nothing hotter than a Mom! CJ brings down-to-earth and actually useful parenting tips to you every week, from smack dab in the middle of the fray.

*Tag In The Seam: You want a down-to-earth, no frills, no "mother-faking" hot lady, then Leann Mabry is your woman. Telling it like it is, yep that is hot. She knows that women fart, sweat, and cuss like sailors, and she will tell you all about it. Fo Rill.

*Twilight and Thebes: Hot and smart, that is what Miss Twilight is. The co-host of this radically-left political podcast will talk about everything from impeaching the president, and calling out all the government lies to her work as a phone sex dominatrix. All while helping building her own cabin up in northern New Mexico.
A woman building her own home from scratch? Very. Hot.

*Strangely Literal: Fan-fiction geek? Like stories? Like to write stories? Then you need to start listening to Tabz. Strangely Literal is only one of the many fan-fiction related shows she either hosts or participates in. Since my own husband heard her voice and said she sounds like me, then how can she NOT qualify as hot? Her current project in motion is a fan-fiction audio drama based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Ok, there are five of my picks for hottest women in podcasting, but there are SOOOO many more! Feel free to comment and add your own five, or hell, do your own blog entry and tell everyone who you think are the hottest in podcasting!

JC Hutchins is in every podcast you listen to

I try not to bring up my own podcast too often, but this time I have good reason to mention it. JC Hutchins, the author of the insanely crazy-popular podcast novel 7th Son has been out there interviewing for the highly anticipated release of the final book of the trilogy.

His goal? An interview in every state. Did he do it? Somehow I think he did, most likely covering a few states twice. I'm also very sure he crossed a border too! I definitely jumped on that bandwagon, but I wanted to take a little different view of the book. I added a political spin on top of your usual interviewing fodder. ;-)

So check your podcatchers, and head over to the link and learn a little about the politics of this amazing book. If you still haven't begun listening to 7th Son, well, shame on you! Go over now and catch up on the first two books! There is still plenty of time before Book Three debuts.

Afterhell Volume Three Podcast!

Joe. Jamie. I hate you in the most loving way possible. The next deliciously gruesome installment of Ollin productions Afterhell series is out on podcast. Part 1 of their first story, Giallo Hotel.

Do they disappoint? HELL no. As twisted as ever, and always an excellent production. It ended and I was all, "whaaa? That's IT? More more MORE!"

So I have to wait. At least parts are coming to the feed each week. Or I would have to fly to Oregon and smack some people around. But hey, at least I'd get to meet them in person! ;-) Here's the synopsis of Giallo Hotel:

"Join us for a story of mobsters, murder, and mayhem. We look in on a popular resort, the Giallo Hotel, where mobsters fight for control of a criminal empire. Vince Pensari plots a hostile takeover. Boss Giallo has other plans. And no battle plan survives contact with the enemy... especially when he won't stay dead."

Click the link below for the feed. Or, if you have iTunes you can head here:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=256823205

There are also other goodies in the feed too! You will not be disappointed, nor will you look at lasagna the same way again... mmmmm....

Diversity and Radio Ownership

Very interesting study on radio station ownership I wanted to share:

The results of this study reveal a dismally low level of minority and female ownership of radio stations in America that has left two-thirds of the U.S. population with few stations representing their communities or serving their needs. Racial or ethnic minorities own just 7.7 percent of all full-power commercial broadcast radio stations, though they account for 33 percent of the U.S. population.

• Latinos own just 2.9 percent of all U.S. full-power commercial broadcast radio stations.
  
  
• African-Americans own only 3.4 percent of this country's full-power commercial broadcast radio stations.
  
  
• People of Asian descent own less than 1 percent of full-power commercial broadcast radio stations.
  
  

Listen to the press conference announcing the release of the report featuring FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Johnathan Adelstein, Gloria Steinem, and Civil Rights leaders.

Our previous study, Out of the Picture, found that minority ownership of broadcast television stations was similarly anemic -- people of color own just 3.3 percent of stations.

These groups' level of radio station ownership is only slightly higher, despite the fact that the cost of operating a radio station is dramatically lower than a TV station. Moreover, radio station ownership is very low compared to the levels seen in other commercial industry sectors.

---

Minority-Owned Stations Thrive in Less-Concentrated Markets

Our analysis suggests that minority-owned stations thrive in markets that are less concentrated. Markets minority owners have fewer stations per owner on average than markets without them.

• The probability that a particular station will be minority-owned is significantly lower in more concentrated markets.
  
  
• The probability that a particular market will contain minority-owned station is significantly lower in more concentrated markets.
  
  

Allowing further industry consolidation will unquestionably diminish the number of female- and minority-owned stations. The FCC should seriously consider these consequences before enacting any policies that could further concentration.

---

Ownership and Programming Diversity: A Case Study of Talk Radio

Though the focus of this study was on structural ownership, recent controversy surrounding remarks by two prominent talk radio hosts —Rush Limbaugh and Don Imus — spurred an examination talk radio programming on minority- and female-owned stations. We found:

• No minority-owned stations aired "Imus in the Morning" at the time of its cancellation.
  
  
• All minority-owned stations and minority-owned talk and news format stations were significantly less likely to air "The Rush Limbaugh Show."
  
  
• Having a minority-owned station in a market was significantly correlated with a market airing bothconservative and progressive programming.
  
  
• Overall, markets that aired both conservative and progressive hosts were significantly less concentrated that markets that aired just one type of programming.
  
  

These results suggest that diversity in ownership leads to diversity in programming content. This result may seem obvious. But policymakers may have forgotten the reason behind ownership rules and limits on consolidation: Increasing diversity and localism in ownership will produce more diverse speech, more choice for listeners, and more owners who are responsive to their local communities.

There are more links to the actual studies and how to defend media diversity at the link below. Good info this audio addict likes to be aware of. :-)

Summer fan fiction audio continues

Courtesy of the Radio Nostalgia Network, the Sonic Society is continuing to bring you the best in fan fiction this summer. Last time it was more from Broken Sea Audio with Logan's Run, and this week it will be Circus 13 and their fan audio of X-Men!

Pretty neat stuff- check out both of these great production companies for more of their great work!

There is also a plethora of old time radio shows and dramas on the Radio Nostalgia Network too- so browse around there for awhile as well! Radio drama/Audio cinema will never die as long as they are around!

Round One of Public Radio Contest Ending

UPDATE: Round One voting is ending at midnight eastern time TOMORROW! Those who have entries, make sure your contact info is up-to-date, as they are contacting the 10 finalists on Monday!


From 5/8/07:
How do you know you are an audio addict, and love to listen? When you've spent 2 hours straight on the Public Radio Talent Quest site (click john Hodgman) listening to entries! Honestly, they are so much fun, and really gives you a sense of all the talent out there just waiting to be discovered!

What I also love seeing there are all the podcasters and audio drama folk who are also submitting entries. Podcasters such as JT Shea, and Christiana Ellis, as well as audio drama enthusiasts Sherman Sleeves and BK Turning all have posted audio on the site.


Do you see why two hours can fly by so quickly listening to two-minute entries?

Head over and listen for yourself, or- join in the fun and submit your own! The deadline to submit entries is fast approaching- Monday May 14th! (Sorry my global friends, it's only open to chatty folk in the US). The voting however, goes until June 1st.

And oh yes, this addict has an entry too. ;-)