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Community Corner

Brookline Resident Takes a Burghs Eye View of Life

Robert Hutch Bailie Jr. has been podcasting about Pittsburgh since 2006 from his home in Brookline.

Nestled in a cozy basement in Brookline, Robert Hutch Bailie Jr. has been recording an audio podcast called Burghseyeview.com since 2006. 

His brother, Stoughton Bailie, had started a podcast around that time called puckertime.com, and his interest was piqued. Hutch had wanted to be a radio DJ since he was kid, and podcasting seemed like a good opportunity to fulfill that dream.

The show started out with Hutch and his son, Robert Hutch III, talking about high school football. After a few recordings, the pair realized they needed more content than high school football to fill an hour's worth of time.

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It's since morphed into a show about all things Pittsburgh, with a focus on reaching out to Steeler Nation.

Hutch Jr. refers to “exiles” on the show - people forced to leave Pittsburgh in search of work after the steel mills closed. Burghseyeview gives them the comfort of home, even from afar. Regular features include a "Pittsburghese" segment, local news, and funny or interesting things happening around town.

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"If you have ever eaten a jumbo sammich, gambled in the basement of a catholic church, engaged in a buckeye fight, or ridden a PAT bus, come check us out," the "about" page says.

In 2007, Hutch Jr. was sent to Iraq due to his career in the military. He had to decide whether to continue the podcast.

It would, and he spent the next talking about his beloved city - as an exile of sorts.

But when he returned to Brookline after his service, he noticed his audience was on the decline. He was again contemplating shutting the show down, but in 2008 he decided to attend his first Podcamp. 

“Podcamp changed my life,” he said.

He attended workshops, networked with other social media buffs and learned the power of Twitter and Facebook to promote the show. 

Hutch Jr. was a Podcamp workshop presenter in 2009 and 2010, and his podcast averages 2,000 downloads a month from listeners around the globe. 

With the show's growing popularity and 110 episodes under his belt, Hutch Jr. has created an iPhone app called BEV Gold, which offers video and extra content. He's also started a new website, Steelcityresistance.blogspot.com, which focuses more on political issues and current events.

A relatively recent addition to the show is his current co-host Schell. The duo commit to taping a podcast three times a month, with guest appearances by local folk, invited friends, and supporters who call into the BEV Hotline.

I've been on the show twice, and a few drinks and a lot of laughs later, you just never know what’s going to come out of someone's mouth. It can get a little wild.

If you have friends or family that miss Pittsburgh or you just want to laugh for an hour, check out Burghseyeview.com, friend their fan page on Facebook for the newest posted shows, and follow Hutch Jr. on Twitter @Burghseyeview.

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