The City of DeLand is venturing into new territory when it comes to getting information to the public — podcasting.
On Jan. 12, city launched the first episode of The DeLand Discussion, featuring a conversation between the show’s host, Community Information Manager Chris Graham, and DeLand Fire Chief Todd Allen about the soon-to-open Fire Station 81.
The recent hiring of Public Safety Spokesperson Ava Hanner is what made the show possible, Graham said.
“You know it was something I had wanted to do for a while and now that I have a team of two with Ava, it frees me up to do more in-depth projects,” Graham said. “I sat down the other day and said, ‘Hey, let’s do this.’”
The goal of the show, Graham shared, will be to highlight the inner workings of the City of DeLand and to dive deeper into city initiatives, like the annual Hometown Heroes banner program.
Podcasts are radio programs available to listeners on-demand. Gone are the days of audio programming being available only on the radio — now it seems like everyone has a podcast, even the City of DeLand.
The City of Port Orange served as an inspiration, Graham said, but DeLand is the first municipality in West Volusia to take to the airwaves this way. Maybe sometime soon locals will get The Deltona Dispatch or The Pierson Podcast.
An official schedule hasn’t been ironed out just yet, Graham said, but listeners can expect at least one episode every month exploring what the City of DeLand is up to.
You can listen to The DeLand Discussion on Spotify, or in your web browser, HERE.
