Some Thoughts on Podcasting

Podcasting is the new broadcasting.  That's probably the biggest understatement of the 21st Century, but it's true.  What radio was in the last century with it's immediacy, portability, and its ability to make the world smaller has now been usurped by a medium where the listener plays a bigger role than ever before.

I first heard about podcasting when I worked in radio.  We didn't think much of it then.  Podcasting thought of as an extension of the radio station where listeners could hear interviews on the internet after they were broadcast.  It was fine, but it seemed like is didn't attract listeners to the station's website. Another problem was that the average podcast was under five minutes due to the capacity of the website.

A few years ago I got my first iPod and used it primarily for music.  It wasn't until I spent a lot of time at work on a computer that I discovered this new medium. For me, there's nothing like it.  You can listen to what you want when you want.  There's hardly any commercials, and if there are any you don't have to sit through a five or six minute commercial break to get back into the show.  You can even pause it if you need to use the phone or take care of other business.  

The main reason that I like it has to do with the freedom behind it.  Podcasters aren't regulated by the FCC.  If a host wants to drop an f-bomb he or she won't be subject to paying a huge fine or risk the loss of a license.  Plus, there is a podcast for virtually every subject in the world.

Gone are the days where only a handful of hosts got a show on a radio station.  Anyone can do it, and from almost anywhere.  If you have a computer, a headset, and a microphone you're in business.  Plus, it travels farther than radio waves.

These are just my thoughts.  In some upcoming posts, I'll be sharing some of my favorite podcasts.