How We Listen Now: The Podcast Boom
Ken Layne’s podcast streams from the High Desert, his gravelly baritone on tape loop reverb, gathering sand, heat, boulders, patient iguanas and petroglyphs from the lands of little rain to impart wisdom in the most intimate way, by speaking directly to listeners:
“Death Valley at 108 Fahrenheit is tolerable. You can walk around even if it’s mostly between the pool and the bar in your hotel room at Furnace Creek. People pose with the digital temperature display outside the National Park Visitor Center, and there are plenty of signs warning you not to attempt to midday hike, not to leave your dogs or kids or grandma in the car.”
Produced in Joshua Tree, “Desert Oracle Radio” entered its second season this past fall after joining with podcast behemoth PRX for distribution and with ad network Midroll for revenue. Layne also launched an offshoot called “Radio Sermon with Brother Layne,” which can be found on Popula, an ad-free journalistic site relying on blockchain and $4-a-month subscriptions for revenue.
“Podcasts sound human, whatever the subject or production style,
