Taking SquawkBox to a new level

by alec on August 20, 2008

The SquawkBox started out as an experiment to see what a multi-person podcast would look like.  I was, frankly, curious about podcasting and curious about whether Calliflower could be a good tool for podcasters.

SquawkBox has succeeded far beyond what I had originally anticipated, mushrooming into a daily gathering of industry folks, and filling some of the void that has been left by the now absent VON show.  And in discussing the SquawkBox with friends, and with my partners, I’ve realized that it’s time to take it to another level.  The evolution I have in mind is two-fold:

First, the show needs a producer who can devote energy to recruiting guests, managing promotion, and producing and distributing the actual audio podcast via various outlets.  There’s no doubt in mind that a passionate individual without the demands of running a startup could do a much better job than I do today. So I’m offering an internship for a journalism or media student. It will last four months, and the job title is producer.  I figure it will take two to three hours per day of time, and you’ll learn a ton about new media with direct hands-on experience.  The job description is attached at the end of this post.

Second, as I listened to the excellent podcasts recorded over the summer while I was on vacation, it was clear to me that the show was a better show for having a variety of voices in the hosts chair.  Consequently, I’m looking to recruit two to three additional hosts for the show to host an episode, or possibly two, in any given week.  It’s a high visibility podium suitable for an aspiring podcaster, and it will mean a commitment of four to six episodes per month.

Please drop me a line if you have interest in either of these two opportunities.

Alec.

Producer / Editor Internship

Be part of an innovative new concept in online media — the social cast.
A cross between talk radio and podcasting, social casts consist of
recorded conversations between interviewers, guests, and the call-in
audience, which are then distributed as a podcast via Itunes and the
Internet.

We’re seeking an intern for the fall period, from September through to
the end of December, to help produce the highly successful
Saunderslog.com Squawkbox show.  The responsibilities of the intern will
be:

1. In preproduction, to manage the scheduling and acquisition of guests,
and the promotion of the show.

2. During the show, to record and manage the call.

3. Following the show, to edit the podcast, write-up a summary of the
show, and post it to the show site.

You will get to work in a dynamic and interesting environment, with
newsmakers and journalists from all across North America.  And you will
learn new podcasting, audio editing and promotion skills.

Estimated time requirement: 2 to 3 hours per day, five days per week

Contact Alec Saunders (alecs@exmsft.com) to find out more.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry maker Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Don Thorson August 20, 2008 at 6:04 am

Alec,

Congratulations on SquawkBox. These sound like great opportunities for someone to get to know this new medium, develop excellent tech contacts and get to work with you, of course. I'll pass this around. Question: Geography, do you care where these people reside?

Reply

Alec August 20, 2008 at 9:20 am

Thanks Don. Geography really isn't an issue, other than the fact that the show is recorded daily at 11 AM EDT. It could be an early start if the person lived in Alaska or Hawaii…

Reply

Dan York August 25, 2008 at 6:43 am

Alec,

Thanks for taking the time to put together these thoughts on the evolution of Squawk Box. It certainly has been fun to be a part of as it has continued to evolve over time. I enjoyed the guest-hosting for you this summer although doing all the pre-production, guest hosting and also all the post-production did wind up consuming a good chunk of the day (as you are well aware). I'm certainly glad to participate as a guest host from time-to-time, and if you can find someone to do the post-production, I'd be glad to guest-host on a more frequent/regular basis.

My only question – why are you looking for the intern for just 4 months? Is the idea that you are looking for someone for the "fall semester", i.e. targeted university/college students? What happens after the end of the 4 months?

Dan

Reply

Alec August 25, 2008 at 7:48 am

That's the idea, Dan. Make it into a term project.

Reply

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post:

Alec on LinkedIn Alec on Twitter Alec on Facebook Calliflower on Youtube RSS Feed Contact me