Todd Cochrane, local geek and nationally renown new media entrepreneur, is preparing for his annual 24-hour marathon podcast.

Beginning at 6 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time on Saturday, Dec. 18, he will be streaming live video and audio from his Makakilo studio non-stop through 6 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19.

Todd produces the regular Geek News Central podcast, and is CEO of RawVoice, which offers end-to-end solutions for podcasters and other content creators.

Throughout the media-making marathon, Todd will welcome a parade of live guests covering a variety of topics. Conversations about podcasting and new media will factor heavily into the schedule, including the live awards ceremony for the Podcast Awards.

Todd will be taking questions and comments in the Ustream chat room and on Twitter at @GeekNews.

The 24-hour podcast has always been a charity fundraiser, and this year's beneficiary is the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes. "I did a lot of research on this group and I am happy with the way they use their money," he wrote. "As a retired veteran who still has close ties to the military community I feel I need to continue to give back when I can."

And as I did in years past, I will be in the studio to help Todd across the finish line.

At 5 a.m. on Sunday, I'll join him (breakfast and coffee in hand) to discuss Hawaii's tech scene, local startups, meetups, and the like. If you're up that early (or online at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time), be sure to tune in, and I hope you'll consider donating to the cause.

Learn more at 24HRPodcast.com.