The purpose of this blog is to share my more than four decades of experience in radio, as a programmer, morning personality, and consultant with podcasters looking to launch, grow and succeed. As a radio programmer, I was among the first corporate programming executives to recognize the impact podcasting would have on the future of audio. By 2017, all of the stations under my supervision were involved in podcasting in one form or another.
Over the past three years, I have focused exclusively on podcasting. I decided the time was right to launch the Oz Podcast Group as a division of Mark Elliott Media, bringing together my experience both in radio and podcasting to help creators launch and develop new podcasts. Also, assisting established shows that have stalled and are struggling to get to the next level.
Podcasting has never offered more opportunity, or more competition. The good news is that great content, a smart strategy, and a clear understanding of your audience can still set you apart from the crowd. Whether you're thinking about launching your first podcast or trying to figure out why your current show isn't growing, I'd be glad to share what I've learned from more than 40 years in radio and podcasting. If you'd like to talk about your podcast and where you want to take it, reach out to me at the Oz Podcast Group for a free 30 minute consultation. I would like to hear your story and see if I can help. - Mark Elliott
Email: mem@markelliottmedia.com
Phone: (818) 259-0091
Phone: (818) 259-0091
With Mark Elliott
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
When I started in radio, in order to reach a local audience you had to either own or lease a building. You had to have sales offices, offices for staff, studios to air shows and produce commercials and imaging plus a huge tower with a transmitter on top of a mountain or a hill pumping out up to 100,000 watts of power to reach a decent size local audience.
Then in the mid 80's, satellite radio was born and all it took was shooting a satellite into outer space beaming a signal to a main hub which could be sent remotely to other cities by a receiver the size of a small copy machine. Every market could carry one of many formats with programming coming from one location, which at the time was Hollywood. The cost ran into the millions to create a satellite network. Eventually came XM and Sirius satellite networks, but due to the cost of doing business, they were forced to merge. Satellite radio continues to survive today providing programming for thousands of AM and FM stations across America that would have gone dark otherwise. Now with the addition of AI, who knows what the future of radio will be? What we know is it doesn't include the need for a lot of employees.
By the early 2K's, the internet opened up global reach and anyone could start a radio station playing music or create a podcast from their garage or a spare bedroom. You could be located in a remote location in Wyoming and build an audience reaching the seven continents. All for a few thousand dollars. It's amazing when you think about where we've come since KDKA in Pittsburgh, signed on as the first commercially licensed station on November 2, 1920.
The challenge with starting an internet radio station was the cost of paying royalties to play music and many were considered to be pirate internet stations because they failed to pay royalties and were eventually shutdown, but there are still several today who operate legitimately. Podcasting over the past decade has become the new normal because anyone with a spare room can set up a studio and reach a worldwide audience. The challenge is there are millions of podcasts and being discovered by a mass audience is an uphill battle that requires understanding exactly what you're getting into before launching one.
Setting up a podcast studio is relatively simple. All you need is to be connected to the internet by the tools of the trade. A solid Wi-Fi system, a desk or table, chairs, a laptop, a studio board, a couple of microphones, monitors, studio speakers, headphones and a cellphone. Then you need to find a reputable podcast platform to distribute your show to all the podcast apps. It sounds like a lot but it really isn't. Anyone with a basic understanding of how to connect computers can build a podcast studio.
When it comes to investing in studio equipment, I always recommend investing in the best equipment upfront. A lot of podcasters start on the cheap and end up spending twice as much because eventually they want to upgrade. If you buy the best upfront, you'll never have to worry about it again and quite honestly if you can't afford to go big out of the gate, then you probably shouldn't venture into the podcast arena. This said, a small budget of $5,000 dollars can build a state of the art studio and leave you with plenty of money leftover.
Where a podcast can start to be costly is by adding the video element to your podcast, which is where you'll eventually want to end up but it's not necessary to launch video access immediately. Consider it to be an optional choice.
Naturally, the Oz Podcast Group can help you build a state of the art podcast studio and save you money because where going to listen to what you want to accomplish and recommend the tools of the trade you need and where to get them to save money.
Let's set up a 20 minute free consultation to see if we're the right fit to assist you in building a studio and establishing your show. Send me an email and we'll get started.
Email: mem@markelliottmedia.com
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May 2026/The Power Of FOMO
June 2026/Interviewing Pitfalls
July 2026/Yes, You Need A Website
August 2026/Tools Of The Trade
The Oz Podcast Group is a division of Mark Elliott Media, LLC
Los Angeles, CA
W: markelliottmedia.com
E: mem@markelliottmedia.com
P: (818) 259-0091
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