The Pirate Hour grows its viewership with a widening range of guests

The Pirate Hour, a production of the California Pirate Party, hosted by Etopia News founder Marc Strassman, is growing in popularity even as it brings in a more diverse list of featured guests.

“The goal of the Pirate Hour is,” in the words of its web page, “to speak with intellectuals and public figures in a democratic open space to share ideas and information.”

Guests so far have included:

1.       David Bollier, activist of the commons

2.       Joe Mathews, protean journalist and commentator

3.       William Kelleher and Alan Dechert, Internet voting advocates

4.       Angela Keaton, libertarian stalwart

5.       Russell Dalton, political scientist and researcher of “apartisanship”

6.       Eric Maag, teachers’ union official

Judge James P. Gray, the Libertarian Vice-Presidential candidate, is scheduled to appear as a guest on the show at its regular 9:00 pm PDT time slot on Thursday, September 27, 2012.

David Brin, scientist and science fiction writer, an expert on transparency, and, most recently, the author of EXISTENCE, is booked to appear sometime in October, 2012.

The Pirate Hour is produced online using the Google+ Hangouts On Air videoconferencing, broadcast, and recording system.  The shows are viewable live on YouTube and are archived there for later viewing.

The program features Q & A between the host and the guest, followed by questions from the virtual in-studio audience, and then free-form discussion of the issues raised by the guest and audience.

The program is being promoted on Facebook, Twitter, and the California Pirate Party web site.