“All of my experience since my work in college radio was in preparation for the emergence of Podcasting. I just didn’t know it.”

Since 1996, Mark Blevis has worked as a network security and data privacy specialist for a host of private firms and government departments. He continues to pursue his life-long personal passion for music as a songwriter, bassist, and vocalist in the Mark Harold Band.

It was partly this love of music that had Mark dreaming of a career in radio back in high school and he started pursuing that dream through a work-study program… for a little while. He soon left radio to study computers. As his IT career took off, his “On Air” light eventually winked out for good… or so he believed.

Mark discovered Podcasting in early 2005 and realized that he had been waiting for this moment. A serious Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) enthusiast, he had studied its programming with the tuned ear of a producer and host — a career in IT had taught him a few things, like backing up data often, and weekend gigs in a number of bands had earned him the chops to produce and record his own music.

These diverse experiences converged in April 2005 when Electric Sky debuted as Mark’s first podcast, for which he is producer, host and janitor. It features engaging, creative and critical interviews. Mark has since launched three additional independent Podcasts.

Canadian Podcast Buffet was established in December 2005 to strengthen the Canadian Podcast community by promoting all-Canadian podcasts, media coverage, and current events, as well as all-Canadian independent music. Mark co-produces and co-hosts. The success of The Buffet led to Mark co-founding and co-organizing Canada’s first large-scale Podcasting conference, Podcasters Across Borders.

Growing Enthusiasm was launched in February 2006. It documents the joy of adults and children discovering life, together. This program is published in the form of a short audio documentary without narration.

Mark also produces and co-hosts Just One More Book!! with his wife, Andrea. Launched in July 2006, this thrice-weekly Podcast features discussions about their favourite children’s books, as well as children’s literature focused interviews.

“At the personal level, you can make a big impact with Podcasting” he says. “Done well, Podcasting can break down geography and facilitate person-to-person contact that has never been possible. At a societal level, Podcasting is a channel that is particularly effective for sharing and engaging the community of ideas with those ideas.”

Mark launched Third Storey Productions in April 2006 to help individuals and organizations harness this power, share ideas, and become engaged in this new community they have joined.