Open Culture recently posted an interesting article about BlogTalkRadio, which provides anyone with a computer and telephone the opportunity to create a live radio show, and then later turn the broadcast into a podcast.

OC reports that, so far, about 82,000 shows have aired on this free service, and about 2.4 million listeners tune in each month. Among the broadcasts, you’ll find interviews with Brian DePalma, Yoko Ono, Chris Anderson (author of The Long Tail), Jodi Picoult (author of 14 novels), Jimmy Wales (founder of Wikipedia), Frank Rich (New York Times columnist), Phil Donahue (director of the new film Body of War), and David Mamet (famous screenwriter and playwright). Some noteworthy shows hosted by BlogTalkRadio include: the Smithsonian Channel, Mr. Media, Movie Geeks United, ZNE’s Circa Arte, BC Radio Live, The Poor Chef, and 3 Chicks on Lit.

As OC suggests, this service seems particularly useful for anyone who wants to create a broadcast/podcast but doesn’t want to grapple with the technical side of things. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this description fits many of the educators I know. Consequently, BlogTalkRadio might be a great option for teachers looking to create podcasts to supplement their course content without exerting too much time and effort.

Get more info on BlogTalkRadio here, and check out their “Best of” section here.