I've been thinking a lot about how to create an informed local municipal-focused civic affairs discussion for years; it's one of the primary goals of my journalism.
Podcasting provides the opportunity to do so, and Lawrence Lessig conveys many of the ideas I'm considering on his blog:
Podcasting will be a critical part of that way out. For the architecture of the podcast is the precise antidote for the flaws of the present. It is deep where now is shallow. It is insulated from ads where now is completely vulnerable. It is a chance for thinking and reflection; it has an attention span an order of magnitude greater than the Tweet. It is an opportunity for serious (and playful) engagement. It is healthy eating for a brain-scape that now gorges on fast food.
A heavy influence for how I'm thinking of approaching The 155 moving forward is Radio Open Source: http://radioopensource.org/