I'd do it - I pay one monthly fee for all my local and long-distance calls, so it wouldn't cost me any more for calling anyway.

That sounds like a great idea. I think the benefit of the toll-free number is that people seem to remember it more easily. Is the price difference that much?
I used to listen to the radio more when before every station became about shock jocks and ridiculous prank phone calls that weren't even realistic. I'd like something intelligent to listen to.

I would love to listen to it! A toll-free number wouldn't matter to me, and probably not to most people I know. Most people use cell phones with free long-distance, and the concern would be using minutes, but most nights and weekends are free.. so that's not an issue for a Sunday night show. The few people I know with landlines, either have cell phones too, or have free long-distance.

I assume everyone has free nights and weekends. Even on my landline, I have free long distance and I know the other local carrier does as well. Again, I don't think its the cost of the call that matters. I think the toll free numbers started out as a cost incentive but now it somehow seems easier to rattle out 1-800, etc. Whatever you decide, good luck! I'll listen!

I would listen! Yes I will also call in if I am available on the eve. I have free long distance with my cell.

I would certainly listen. Maybe I would call in. Depends on if I thought I had anything useful or interesting to add to a conversation.

I also have nights and weekends free and bought an AT&T microcell so I can have unlimited calling at home for twenty bucks a month. This has given me 2261 rollover minutes as of this billing period. And I'm on AT&T's lowest plan for minutes. Works good for me.

I'd listen and participate if wanted. :-) And I have free long distance at home, very essential with all the gang back in Canada.

I'd listen.

As far as a toll free number - would it be worth the few extra bucks to get more people to call in? Excuse my ignorance here (I may be blurring radio with internet podcast market principles), but the more people encouraged to call in, the more interesting material you may have access to and thereby, it may have a positive impact on the listener volume.

Maybe that would help you get more exposure, sell books or advertisements, it may be worth it to pay the extra money for a few months to see how that pans out.

Cool. Could you set up a Skype for the call-in?

Investigate the Google plus thing. It's free, and they're certain to have a REALLY, REALLY capacious signal-distribution platform.

Sure! Rock on! I don't own a MP3 (did I mention I'm new here and I live in a cave?) but I think a podcast would b grrreat!

Sure! Rock on! I don't own a MP3 (did I mention I'm new here and I live in a cave?) but I think a podcast would b grrreat so I'd buy one!

I have a set number of minutes per month, and evenings and weekends are included in that number. So, everyone does not have free eves and weekends. I do have free long distance, so a toll free number would not really be a draw.

I would definitely call in. Would you have set topics for each show?

> For radio

I'm not sure radio is the venue of America's opinion-making future. Better to fail in something brand new, and risk becoming a freakish standout success with global reach.

I know of talk show women in Los Angeles who've been trying to carve out space in the marketplace for twenty years... That's two-oh years. They're still not making enough for a mortgage....

By the way, when I give "Better to..." advice like that, I'm not the one who'll be taking the risk!

Ha ha!

Ah ha-ha ha-ha hah!!

Seriously...

(And I've said this before here, but I've said everything before here...)

When blogs were taking off in 2001 (and Los Angeles had turned out [perhaps by happenstance] to be the home for some of the best), it was amazing how many people thought that claiming territory in early days was all that would be required to become a Powerful New Voice in the Media Landscape of the Future.

Some peeps, and I could name names but won't, really believed that they were going to be the Elvis of this new form. They'd already had their truck drivin' days, so all that was left was to cash it.

It didn't work out.

The one's who've survived, or who've thrived even for intervals in the intervening years, have continued to work like, improve their communication, and improve their immortal souls. Sometimes they had their dream jobs and sometimes they've lost them, but either way they've collected skills that the Elvis wannabes never bothered to refine. They'll be OK in the NEXT decade, too.

I'm not saying don't bother with old media, because you never know. Several of the successes I'm speaking put tremendous effort into old-style media.

But don't be afraid to flop in something new, either.

By 2015, someone will have figured out how to do really well in Google Plus or some similar only conversation... But they're not planning for that contingency right now. They're going to get there by trying things.

(No one expected much from Drudge in 1995, or Kos in 1999.)

(Some of us still aren't hoping for much from Kos.)

If I could skype, I could be a practice caller if it worked out with time zones. I'm sure I can find something to ask advice about.

"Gregg is working this out now. The problem is, I can't just have the phone ring and ring...it needs to get answered and people need to hear a recording saying there are (probably) calls on hold and I'll get to them."

Sounds like a job for Asterisk.

Thanks, Cousin Dave -- will check it out.

*Sob* - let's see, PDT to me is 17 hours. So Sunday evening is about Monday lunchtime for me.

I'd definitely listen in via headphones at work when I'm not out on site or in a meeting. Calling might get me some strange looks from my co-workers though.

Not that they don't do that already.

I would definitely listen. I wouldn't need a toll free number because of free long distance with my cell phone plan. Yay Amy!

Asterisk is EXPENSIVE! Need to keep costs low. Not exactly rolling in dollars in this economy.

I might listen. I'm more of a SiriusXM Patriot type of listener (politics). It would be fun to hear more of you than the under 10 minute clips you rarely get on national news.

You may want to check out Grasshopper phones. No long term, and they can get you an 855-AdviceGoddes phone number.