You may have heard or seen some of my musings over recent weeks about creating a new podcast. The rumors and whispers are all true, ladies and gentlemen. I'm here today to tell you we've got a brand new show...please say you like it. Or I'll be crushed.

Since online producer Suzi Piker and I started the podcast a few years ago, it's been a bit of an experiment. We didn't really have proper recording and editing equipment and we figured things out as we went along. For me it's been a blast putting together the shows, from crashing the MECA student art sale to sitting on the sidelines of a Maine Roller Derby bout and getting some straight talk on the future of news from student journalists. But some of the most fun has been in doing interviews, because I find that no matter how much prep I do or how well I put together questions, there are things that always surprise me.

That brings us to a few weeks back, when I pitched what basically would be a talk show (for lack of a better word) with local people on news, politics, pop culture, and just about everything else we try to cover in this blog. I wanted to do something like "The McLaughlin Group", "Meet The Press," or even "Pardon The Interruption," where guests can come in and feel comfortable speaking their mind on all the things that are in the news. More importantly I thought it would be interesting to get an eclectic group of business people, artists, musicians, activists and everyone else around a table and see what happens.

The very first show (or pilot, as I told the editors) is now up and the guests were Rob Landry, owner of Pemaquid Communications; Lauren Wayne, concert promoter and local blogger; and Alex Steed, a blogger and "activist-y type" as he put it.

In the first show we cover the problem with public figures not paying their taxes, why Portland's music scene needs the State Theater (or something like it) and the world of polite stalking created by social networking sites.

So now what? Well, take a listen to the show and really, please, let me know what you think. We're still deciding whether the show is going to become a regular feature. But even more than that, the show needs a NAME. Yes, that's right, I am putting it out to you, the readers, the commenting class, to decide the name of the new show.

And as with all the podcasts, if you've got a good idea for a show, would like to be a guest or want to contribute music (really, we could use some new music. Local bands I am looking at you - FREE PUBLICITY!) contact me.

Go ahead and let it fly in the comments.

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