Newbie host in need of some advice before starting my first show.

[MrE]

Hey, everyone.

I am thinking about starting my own internet radio show, where I talk about life in general, nothing specific per se. (I would have an outline of what topics to discuss prior to airing). I have a few questions I'm hoping you guys could help me with:

1.) what is the best hosting site? I was thinking about using blogtalkradio.com. Is this a good one, or should i choose a different host?
2.) are there any cheap investments i should make to increase production value? (i think blogtalkradio relies on the host calling in his show, so i imagine i wouldn't necessarily need a mic-- or would i?)
3.)How do I get listeners? Would my first few shows have absolutely no one listening? And how do you guys market yourselves? Paid ads? Fliers? And how long should I wait to market myself? I imagine I might not wanna advertise my show untilI'm comfortable on air with my product.
4.) Is there any way to parlay internet radio into tesrrestrial radio? Or even better, is there a way to garner an audience that could rival terrestial radio shows?

Thank you guys!! I'm looking forward to becoming part of this community and an on-air host.

 

[Mike Phillips]

You're not going to get much help here with these questions. You might want to join in International Association of Internet Broadcasters. It's a http://ibroadcastnetwork.org. They specialize in this area.

For starters, stay away from Blog Talk Radio. They are a telephone bridge with horrendous quality. Take a look at Mixlr.com for free, 96 kHz audio.

More at IAIB.