I listen to podcasts all the time.  Especially dig Darren Dreger's Leafs Lunch from AM640 also The Fan 590 in Toronto puts up podcasts of all the interviews that are done on that station from every show, every day.  Within hours, maybe even minutes of them airing.

I think it's great.  I down load them onto a USB card and plug it into my stereo and listen when I'm playing online poker, painting, drywalling, cooking, cleaning etc etc.  Isn't that what radio's biggest selling point is supposed to be about?  Being with you where ever you are, whatever your doing?

Besides, why wouldn't podcasting have an affect on ratings?  Chances are a lot of the people who listen to your podcast may eventually get confused as to what was pod and was the radio while they scramble to scribble down something in their ratings diaries.  What I'd like to know is if the new PPM's can decipher podcasts and if those people listening online would actually count in the ratings?  If it doesn't yet, I'm sure it one day will.

By the way, Flamers stuff is too cool.  I blog and podcast for roughly the same reason as you do.  To get better at it, so when I do move onto a bigger market it's nothing new for me to learn.

Quoted from 30

Meanwhile, it would be a mistake to presume cynicism on my part to satisfy your own position as I speak from years of experience and education.

Pave, respectfully, I think it's unfair to assume that you are the only person on this board that has the answers, or that you are the only PSR member in this thread with any substantial amount of experience--like everyone else is a rookie.  Your path and mine crossed (indirectly) 20 years ago when we both did work for the same chain.  Nothing more than a handshake in the hallway and some small talk though.  The reason I mention this is that it puts me in the same "decades of experience" club that you seem to think you are the sole member of.  I'm not sure what happened and why radio left you so bitter, but nearly 25 years into my career I have never had more creative license than I do right now.  Sure, that creative license is mine to lose, but I am allowed to experiment and create more than I have ever been.  Unlike you, I was not blessed with the voice of God, but I had some creative juice that, thankfully, has kept me employed through the years.  Perhaps the source of your bitterness is the fact that the old saying, "Your pipes are your paycheque" is no longer true--your personality is your paycheque.  It used to be that you had to have the pipes, that doesn't matter any more.  Perhaps that's what this is all about: you're bitter because you DO have them.  I've heard your stuff.  Unfortunately, I never heard you as a jock so I don't know if you had the personality to fall back on and carry you into the "new" radio, and I mean that respectfully.

As far as your constant comments go about how no one is making good radio anymore, that is subjective and kind of a cheap way of arguing a point.  That's like saying, "I don't like the Calgary Flames" and when someone asks why you say, "'Cause they suck!"  That's not a defense or an argument, that's the grown up version of, "I hate you, dad!" and then storming off when you realize you are losing the argument about curfew.

I don't look back at the radio I was a part of or listening to 25 years ago and think, "It'll never get any better than that!"  We had good ratings and according to BBM and our audience it was good radio, but it was GOOD for the TIME.  Today's audience is far too sophisticated for the return of the cowbells, snare drums and canned laughter of the morning zoo or whatever it is you seem to think is missing from today's radio.  It's like how a 1200bps moden was good (for the time), lead-based paint was good (for the time) and 8-track tapes were good (for the time) but no one will ever embrace those things (or old school radio) again unless it's as a means of being ironic.

The nature of my job these days finds me surrounded by up-and-coming radio talent whose eagerness and creativity would blow your mind.  And despite the fact radio is currently fighting an all-out rumble, I have never been more excited about this industry and the many different platforms radio needs to embrace  and be on in order to stay relevant in the lives of today's distracted listener.

I am neither bitter or cynical about Radio.

I am, however, severely critical. Were it not for identifying that which might benefit from change, there would be no chance of making any improvements.

Plus, I am satisfied that Radio will have opportunities to re-create itself. I suspect these will be re-active rather than pro-active approaches, but ain't that, so often, jus' the way of the world...?

As to speculations on my complete background/education/experience, I offer your own words: "Unfortunately, I never heard you as a jock so I don't know if you had the personality to fall back on and carry you into the "new" radio, and I mean that respectfully...."

And that's okay. I appreciate the respect and I am not offended. This is not about ME as I'm just another poster with a wack o' opinions.

What is important, meanwhile, is that you are reporting being in an environment that supports your creativity.

Not nearly enough of that goin' around, sez I.

As to the value of podcasting: I have nothing new to add to my previous posts on the matter.

Quoted from Chunky

By the way, Flamers stuff is too cool.

I am putting this on a t-shirt or emailing it to my Mom :)  thank you.

Quoted from 30

However, the answer for Radio does not lie in the internet's model.

Listening to the Radio is not surfing the web.

The fact you can listen to any station stream online now, is a good indication that airwaives may no longer be necessary to trasmit to your audience. You dont need to surf the web to listen to the radio, but every station in Canada streams online. People can already stream radio on their iphones. The internet is NOT radio, but, there should be radio everywhere. So embrace it.

By the way, I get a lot of entertainment and info from podcasts and internet radio - special interest, mostly.

I repeat: most of my terrestrial radio-listening is done while I'm at the computer and I go for streaming stations.

My hours-tuned for any particular station, however, are not impressive.

Meanwhile, this (podcasting) is something I need to look into. Anyone suggest an online tutorial with which they're familiar on platforms, extra equipment, newer toys for recording phones etc.

(I'm already equipped with ProTools out of a Digi 002, good mics, pre-amp, gate/compressor and a studio set-up etc.)

I appreciate it.

Dear anyone who doesn't see the inherent value of podcasting,

So you're telling me that there's this new thing... and it's popular, it's hip, people are actively seeking it out... and aside from coming out of a different "talking box" it is INDISTINGUISHABLE from radio, it IS radio... but that we people IN radio should stay the hell away from it?  Really?

You're telling me that i should sit and focus on my on-air show instead of jagging around on the internet?  Even when a lot of radio DJs podcasts (including my own; http://thezone.fm/feeds/polcast/) are a "best of" format from their daily show?  Really?  You don't think that might inspire me a little harder in the control room?

And really?  You're telling me that once i HAVE sat for an hour prepping, writing, producing or editing a great bit or call, that i should be satisfied to have it go out into the ether of radio once, maybe twice if i recycle it on a different show, rather than have it live on in the hearts and minds and digital memory of the listeners who enjoyed, or worse, may have missed it?

Or seriously?!  You're telling my man Flamethrower, and others like him, who ON TOP OF doing a super solid and extraordinarily prepped daily show, has such passion for his craft that he chooses to grow his brand by producing valuable additional content... that there are more constructive ways he could be spending his time?!

Honest to God???  You're telling me there's a severe lack of personality in radio these days, it's dying because of it, but when i say that i have some, and that i'd like to distribute it in any way possible maybe that new, hip, popular way i mentioned before... you accuse me of ego-tripping and demand to know how it will grow ratings and "the bottom line"?!?!

REALLY?!

Well then to quote my fellow podcaster Adam Carolla from his days at LoveLine;

How dare you.

Nope. Nobody's sayin' that.

For those who are in Radio, but are still getting greater kicks out of podcasting - that's how it be. But is that not also a sign that sumthin' might be missin'...?

The point is: Radio has an obligation to kick it up a half-dozen notches to make the real-time, terrestrial experience worthwhile.

Podcasting is another animule. If part of that exercise is a scoped radio-show, that's dandy for those who follow.

Streaming is just another access portal - if the station's any good, the listener's will be there when they're in a computer (or other) environment.

"But what ... is it good for?"

--Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

'nuff said...

Why can't it be seen as a package deal?

Radio isn't just about what goes on the air in that 4-6 hour period where you happen to be on.
Why wouldn't you want someone to get to know you better? Why would you turn down another opportunity to connect with an audience. Radio might be boring to you, right now... but who is it that you are listening to? Podcasts are perfect for that!

CHR personality is through the roof right now... you just have to listen to the right station. And can you stop down, go on an flap your gums for 2 minutes anymore? Nope... but you can do it in 30 seconds, and leave people wanting more!

Quoted from Chunky

Besides, why wouldn't podcasting have an affect on ratings?  Chances are a lot of the people who listen to your podcast may eventually get confused as to what was pod and was the radio while they scramble to scribble down something in their ratings diaries.  What I'd like to know is if the new PPM's can decipher podcasts and if those people listening online would actually count in the ratings?  If it doesn't yet, I'm sure it one day will.

Podcasts won't be counted in ratings for PPM use.  So while your pager is on, and you're listening to a podcast...you won't be listening to the radio and counting valuable minutes.

Hi folks:

I'm certainly all for moving along with the technological times, but how can a podcast ever recoup its costs, or generate sufficient revenue to support its creator?

It is with deep regret that I announce "the world turns on money."

Podcasts rank high on the "Gee Whiz!" scale, but other than the potential of cross promo'ing an on-air shift where spots are sold in the traditional manner to gain revenues, what good does it do?

For those of you (us) that "do radio" because its in our blood, its all well and good to do some broadcasting for the fun value, it gets a little old pretty fast when there is zero compensation.

When making the decision as to whether I wanted to stream our station several years ago, I voted not to do it.  The main reason was an unknown monetary framework.  The Copyright Board had not made a decision with respect to rates, and we had no idea as to what the bill was going to be when, not if, it showed up in the mail.  The only increase in our market area would have been in the very few locations where our signal did not have penetration.

Was it interesting to "tune in" a feed from stations around the world, yup, sure was.  Did I ever hear of a station that had managed to convert those world-wide listeners into a viable revenue stream, the answer was no.  That's not to say they don't exist, just that I wasn't able to locate one at the time.

So help out  me out here, how do Podcasts pay for themselves?

Hammie

Well, I like listening to the "highlight reel" style podcasts. Garner, Dean Blundell, and so on. So the work has already been done for the most part, and with half an hour work you get to showcase your best stuff to potential listeners who in turn may end up liking your show/station enough to listen to it, remember it, and check it off when the time comes. I It also gives the faithfuls a chance to stay attached to the show, if they have to miss it.

What else can you ask for?


And to your statement about chosing not to stream, let me ask you this. Think of your average business let's say of 8 staff, how many "radio's" do they have in those buildings these days, one? two? How many computers does that same business have? The only way stations should be avoiding utilizing the internet, is if they have a station that intentionally ignores anyone under 40. Even my mom is listening to radio on her Macbook now. She's 60.

Quoted from 7

Did I ever hear of a station that had managed to convert those world-wide listeners into a viable revenue stream, the answer was no.  That's not to say they don't exist, just that I wasn't able to locate one at the time.

So help out  me out here, how do Podcasts pay for themselves?

Hammie

Hmmmm maybe this a question better suited for a sales person to answer...  As announcers we're simply putting out content there's no reason why a sales person can't jump on the wagon and find a way to show off the stats of a website, podcast, blog etc and find away to sell it or for promotions to incorporate it somehow in contesting.  In fact many stations have found ways to incorporate their online activity through contests.