Who needs a radio station anymore? Or a TV station for that matter?

Thanks to a flood of new Internet technology applications and the rapidly evolving podcasting craze, it’s now possible for anyone, in just a few minutes, to put together reasonable online versions of radio and TV broadcasts.

The way the citizen-as-reporter blogging craze stunned mainstream newspaper and magazine publishers over the past couple of years, podcasting and now video podcasting – also known as vlogging, for video blogging – is doing to broadcasters.

Some of the software now being released can turn a regular computer into a fullfledged TV or radio studio.

What that means for most consumers is that there are whole new and surprisingly affordable ways to do online family newsletters, church reports, youth sports highlight Web casts or vacation-sharing online slide shows.

Want to do the same thing yourself? Let me save you some time and give you a list of what you’ll need. Let’s start with podcasting gear.

The first thing you’ll want is a microphone. Pick up a USB headset. I like the Plantronics and Logitech brands and you can find them for around $50 at most electronics stores.

If you want a really professional sound (headsets can sound a bit nasally), Griffin Technology (www.griffintechnology.com) makes an iMic USB Audio Interface for $40 and a $15 Lapel Mic lavalier-style stereo microphone. Better yet is the $149 Snowball omnidirectional desk mike from Blue Microphones (www.bluemic.com).

Then you’ll need a way to record it what you say. Whether you have a Mac or a PC, I suggest you go with the free Audacity cross-platform audio recorder and editor (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/).
You can drop MP3 music files in there, record your own voice, mix and edit and trim and boost and equalize. It’s simple to use and produces excellent stereo recordings.

Mac users have another option. The Garageband program that comes with Apple’s $79 iLife suite of multimedia applications and does a great job.

Want to have guests on your podcast? Download the free Skype (www.skype.com) Voice over Internet Protocol application. You can call computer to computer anyone else, anywhere in the world, who also has Skype and talk through your headset. Or pay Skype $15 or so and you can make calls through your computer to telephones.

Recording Skype calls them can be tricky. I’ve experimented with dozens and I have two applications to recommend. For PC users, get Pamela Pro (http://www.pamela-systems.com). You can try it free for 30 days, after that, it’s $21.50.

For Macs, the program I like the best for recording Skype calls is WireTap Pro (http://www.pamela-systems.com). It costs $19. And not only will it record Skype calls but it will record anything that plays through your computer’s sound card, whether audio inputted from an old record player or tape deck or your iTunes music selection.

Record your phone interviews and drop them right into Audacity, where they can be edited and tweaked for your podcast..
Got podcasting mastered?

Then try vlogging – doing video versions of the podcast. If you have a PC, download a program called Vlog It! (www.seriousmagic.com). It costs $49.

For Macs, the most astounding package I’ve yet seen is called Videocue. (www.varasoftware.com). It comes in two versions, a $40 basic package or a professional version for $90 that offers a bunch of extra features.

Both of these programs let you drag and drop video and sound and graphics into a column on the right side of the screen. On the left, you type in your script. Put the video or sound files right next to the words on your script. Then plug in a Web cam – or even your home camcorder and the text scrolls like a teleprompter.

We’re talking amazing here, folks. Both programs come with graphics and effects that make your recorded work look like a TV-style news show. You are going to have a ball with this stuff.

Any Web cam will do but Apple’s iSight camera ($149) comes with a built-in microphone that does an excellent job. Add Griffin’s SightLight lighting kit ($49) to the iSight and you great quality video of your on-camera anchoring.

How do you get your podcast or video report online? If you have a blog of your own, you can grab the file and embed it yourself. If you’re not an experienced blogger, that may take some serious tinkering and requires a bit of a learning curve.

There are several hosting sites that specialize in this but easiest one I’ve found is a service called Audioblog (www.audioblog.com). It will automatically post your podcasts and video blogs for you. Just upload your finished show and fill in the forms and it is done for you. It costs $49 for a year’s service.

Vlog on people, vlog on.