Rob Bentley, a music director and music educator for decades, launched the Hanford Insider podcast to keep residents informed about their community. Photo contributed.

Rob Bentley has been podcasting since the early 1980s.

Kind of.

Hanford native Bentley started the Hanford Insider podcast this summer, hoping to bring local news, events and other goings on to the forefront of Hanford residents. With a background in podcasting and sharing audio-format media, Bentley, who works as a music director and has decades of experience in music education, drew on his time hosting “The Central Valley Music Educators Podcast” to launch his new project.

As to his “podcasting” career beginning before the streaming revolution?

“In the early 1980s I’d record an intro of church services onto cassette and then I’d tape the sermon and have someone take the tape to the radio station to be aired the following Sunday morning,” Bentley said, comparing the end result of the two media – albeit with vastly different production techniques.

Bentley started the Hanford Insider when, as a board member of the Carnegie Museum of Kings County, they had difficulty spreading the word about an event. With his knowledge of podcasting, Bentley was able to prepare the new show in just a few hours.

He hopes to resume his other podcast in the future.

Bentley said since starting the Hanford Insider podcast, he’s had no short supply of guests — thus far, nobody has said no. He credits that largely to his connection with local residents.

“I’m a pretty community-oriented person,” Bentley said. “I’ve been in touch with Brian Johnson who’s the Community Relations Manager for the City of Hanford — he’s been able to put me in touch with a lot of city staff.”

Bentley has also branched out on his own through connections to organizations including the Kings County Farm Bureau, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution and Control District and California High Speed Rail Authority.

With more than a dozen episodes under his belt, Bentley has interviewed guests including Michelle Brown with Main Street Hanford, Toni Tinoco with high-speed rail, Hanford City Manager Mario Cifuentez and Dusty Ference with the Kings County Farm Bureau.

Bentley knows his show likely won’t draw in thousands of listeners — it’s a community-based local podcast focusing on local issues. But if he can bring those issues to the front of residents’ minds, Bentley has accomplished what he aimed to do.

“I’m just trying to reach people in town who might enjoy this format,” Bentley said.

The Hanford Insider Podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and other podcast carriers. Follow the Hanford Insider on social media @hanfordinsider. Community organizations seeking to spread word about events can email the podcast at hanfordinsider@gmail.com.

The Business Journal is starting a new regular feature where we spotlight a locally produced podcast. Do you know a podcast we should include? Send an email. Preference is given to podcasts with a business focus.