Can you run a local news podcast for $100/month with zero employees? A viral thread just proved it's possible — and we break down exactly how.
In this episode, we dive into the AI automation stack that's making hyperlocal news economically viable for the first time. We cover the full tech setup: automated news scraping from Google News, Reddit, and Twitter, AI script generation with emotion and pacing controls, ElevenLabs V3 text-to-speech for broadcast-quality audio, and n8n workflow automation for hands-free daily episodes.
What you'll learn:
→ The exact tools and APIs behind the $100/month AI newsroom
→ Why local news died (and how AI changes the economics)
→ ElevenLabs V3 vs traditional voice talent — real quality comparison
→ n8n automation templates for content creation workflows
→ The "news desert" problem: 1,800+ US counties with no local coverage
→ What other markets become viable when production costs drop 99%
→ The risks: AI hallucinations, misinformation at scale, platform crackdowns
Whether you're a creator exploring AI content automation, a developer building with LLMs, or an entrepreneur hunting for overlooked markets — this episode maps out what's now possible (and what could go wrong).

Topics: AI automation, AI podcast creation, ElevenLabs tutorial, n8n workflows, local news AI, passive income AI, text-to-speech, LLM content generation, no-code automation, AI business ideas 2026