CoasterRadio.com Interview

In the world of podcasts, there are too many to count and it is very hard to find one worth listening to. Well we just narrowed it down for you. If you are a fan of roller coasters and theme parks, CoasterRadio.com is for you! For those who don’t know, CoasterRadio.com is more than just your typical podcast. Unlike others, Mike and EB invite you, the listener, to take part in their show! With interactive contests, questions, and live trip reports, your involvement is endless. No matter what your interested in, they will talk about it. Mike and EB do a great job of covering all aspects of the amusement industry, from coasters and park food, to talking with park officials. You will not be bored listening to CoasterRadio.com. Each episode is full of informative commentary, hilarious characters and you!

CoasterRadio.com’s Mike Collins was generous enough to take the time for an interview with us. Here are some Q&A’s to help you get to know him and the podcast better:

What is the greatest enjoyment you get out of putting together a podcast about roller coasters?

There are so many great things about doing the show each week. I mean, how cool is it that we get to talk to the people who actually create the rides and attractions that we visit? But for us, the best thing about doing CoasterRadio.com is the interaction we have with the listeners. There are people who have been listening to the show since 2005 and actively participate in our contests and interactive discussion topics. They make the show what it is.

What is the most challenging aspect of hosting a podcast?

My biggest frustration with CoasterRadio.com is that I don’t get to spend as much time as I’d like producing and working on it. My real life job (as a television producer) takes a lot of time and I also try to spend as much time as I can with family and friends. So, that doesn’t leave a lot of extra hours to make the show as good as I want it to be. I’d love it if CoasterRadio.com was my full-time job, where I could spend 8 hours a day booking guests, researching topics, visiting new parks and brainstorming new segment ideas. So that’s why CoasterRadio.com is as interactive as it is… we count on the listeners to help us create content.

Who has been your most favorite guests?

My favorite guest of all time was Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde. We talked to him during the construction of Expedition Everest. It was so great to hear him talk about the story behind the ride and things that we could look for when the attraction opened. It was also really cool to talk with Neil Patrick Harris on the show… although the best talk we had with him was without any microphone around. We got to hang out on the set of “How I Met Your Mother” and we ended up talking everything from TV and Movies to Disneyland.

Where would you like to take CoasterRadio.com in the future? Any plans?

I think one of our biggest goals in this new season is to have more interaction with the audience. EB and I would like to have correspondants in every section of the country so that we can hear from them on a regular basis. This past season, we actually sent some listeners to media days at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Cedar Point. They did fantastic jobs reporting from the parks. We’d like to do more of this in 2014. We’d also like to do a few park meet-ups. I had the chance to meet some awesome people who listen to the CoasterRadio.com while at the parks this year. It would be cool to have a big meet-up sometime.

What advice would you give someone who is looking to start a podcast?

It’s one of the most fun things I’ve ever done, but it’s also some of the most work I’ve ever done too. We started our show in 2005, when there weren’t too many podcasts around. Now, there are thousands. It’s harder to find and maintain an audience now. But I’d say the most important pieces of advice I have is to first, make sure you have access to good audio and recording equipment. Second, make sure you have something interesting to say and a unique way to say it.

Favorites:

Steel Coaster?

Apollo’s Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Wood Coaster?

Shivering Timbers at Michigan’s Adventure

Flat Ride?

It’s a tie between Power Tower and maXair at Cedar Point.

Park?

Disneyland

Park Food?

Trappers Smokehouse at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

What’s a park you really want to visit?

I need to see Six Flags Magic Mountain… especially because the original Vacation movie was shot there.

What’s one coaster you really want to ride?

I want to check out Thunderhead at Dollywood

If you are interested in listening to the podcast, which you should, you can subscribe to it on iTunes or visit CoasterRadio.com itself! There you can listen to all of their old episodes too. Now is a great time to start listening to the show, their new season started this week! You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates and news.