Where does the broadcasting revolution go from here?
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In the heyday of radio, the wireless was the
centre of people's lives. The image of families gathered around their radio
set is a familiar one -- listening to a broadcast was a group activity. "When
they say The Radio, they don't mean ... a man in a studio," wrote EB White,
author of children's classic Charlotte's Web, in the 1940s. "They refer
to a pervading and somewhat godlike presence which has come into their lives
and homes. It is a mighty attractive idol."
Time has changed that idol's nature. Families don't sit and listen to the radio as groups any more. People listen to the radio in their cars, on their own -- or not at all. And now it is changing again: instead of simply listening to the radio, people are making it themselves.
Despite the hype that has surrounded podcasting since it started to emerge last year, it is a relatively low-tech concept. Most digital music players don't have radio receivers, but are blessed with a large storage capacity and, when docked with a PC, a connection to the internet. At the same time, the essential kit of the radio operation -- a microphone, recording equipment and mixing desk -- have become common, inexpensive and easily usable through home computers.
With all this, the question became clear: why not make radio programmes that can be downloaded to MP3 players? That is essentially what podcasting -- a term first coined in these pages in February last year -- means, self-contained digital radio.
It is early days, but two distinct threads have already emerged. On one side stands a gaggle of enthusiastic fans who produce podcasts as a hobby, and on the other lie well-established media companies who see the podcast format as a great way to crawl into people's ears.
Early adopters
The grassroots movement is growing fast and beginning to diversify, but it is dominated by two groups: those who use it to talk about technology -- often, excruciatingly, about podcasting itself -- and those who use it to create and distribute adult material. So far, so familiar: this pattern of technologists and pornographers as early adopters is one any web user will recognise.
Now independent podcasters (they don't like to be labelled amateurs) are developing further, stretching deeper into music programming and earning money from advertising. For some -- including the flagship Dawn & Drew Show, made by a couple on their disused dairy farm in Wisconsin -- it's a personal experience. For others, such as American technology writer and broadcaster Leo LaPorte, it is effectively another extension of their own personal, professional brand.
"Independent podcasting has been driven by an insatiable desire for better listening," says Adam Curry, a former MTV presenter who has been one of the pioneers of the format. He thinks the failings of traditional radio -- particularly in the US -- have left people looking for vibrant, new solutions that they are now finding through the internet.
"For the past 20 years, the American entertainment industry has relegated the actual content in favour of marketing. People want passion: the same kind of passion that helped create pirate radio in the 1960s."
While independents are exploring new ways of using podcasting, media organisations have been among the first to latch on to its benefits, for obvious reasons. Many already have expertise in producing high-quality audio material, and most have made substantial services in their web operations. The BBC, for example, makes many radio shows available this way -- and is set to begin doing the same with video content, too. But it is basically repurposed, timeshifted radio -- TiVo for MP3 players.
Developing new talent
"For the moment that's true, but I would see it changing," says James Cridland, head of new media at Virgin Radio, which was the first UK radio station to produce a podcast. "In the next few months we are going to be using some of our archive material, and I would only see that type of thing increasing. And new presenters and new talent might eventually come from podcasting, not from hospital radio or overnight slots on local stations."
Because of the combined benefits of high-quality audio and cross-promotional marketing, big broadcasters are already dominating the ecology. A quick look at the iTunes directory reveals that the top performers include CNN, Fox and America's public service radio network, NPR.
For amateurs, however, producing broadcast quality material is not the point. It is an outlet for personal expression, much like blogging, and is not intended to compete with the professionals.
"It's a complete farce that it has to sound a certain way," says Curry. "Rock 'n' roll was based on distortion of electric guitars: when people are tuning in, they don't care about the audio quality -- they care about the content ... crap on the radio is still crap on the iPod."
Conversations are aimed at niche markets, and engage with small audiences. For some, they will manage to turn their sideline into a business, but for most it will remain a hobby; all they need are a few tools and a little dedication to have fun.
This is where big money is getting involved. Offering services to the podcasters and their audiences is now where the action is for seasoned internet players. They are ignoring the products in favour of building the infrastructure around the products. Why? Because it is here -- in the spaces between -- that industries are born.
Millions of subscribers
The greatest leap forward came when Apple decided to integrate a podcast directory into its iTunes music client. Since June this year, iTunes users -- which includes the estimated 20-million iPod owners around the world -- have been able to view, download and listen to a wide range of podcasts. It has already registered millions of subscriptions.
Apple isn't the only one getting involved. This week, Yahoo unveiled a service that lets users search for, subscribe to and review podcasts. This follows moves by companies such as AOL and the search engine Blinkx, which both have podcast-related offerings.
New outfits are also trying to break into this area. One firm, Odeo, is a startup created by Evan Williams, a co-founder of the pioneering weblog service Blogger. Odeo organises and downloads the latest podcasts for you, and eventually hopes to offer a web-based application that will help users create podcasts.
Curry is also ploughing ahead. Thanks to almost $9-million in funding -- from investors including Sequoia Capital, which has backed Google, Cisco Systems and Electronic Arts -- he now runs a company, Podshow, which offers help, advice and web hosting to podcasters. Although Curry lives in Surrey, the company is based in San Francisco and has a staff of 20. To the pioneers, podcasting is just the latest part of a shift in the way we live.
"The future of sitting in front of a box that has just one function is going away," says Cridland. "It's a platform which is a much more level playing field: anyone with decent content can distribute it."
It is a far cry from the days of crowding around the wireless. Now, just as people have been carrying their own music around with them, they're taking their own radio shows as well. When Mae West whispered, "Come up and see me sometime when I've got nothing but the radio on," she probably didn't imagine she would be wearing an iPod.
What is podcasting?
A podcast is essentially a downloadable radio show. The name combines "broadcast" and "iPod", although they are generally compatible with any brand of personal on-demand digital music player, not just the iPod.
How do I create podcasts?
In the past, creating audio material would have needed a professional studio. Now you can do the basics with little more than a computer, a microphone and a piece of software. After recording your podcast, you then need to find somewhere on the web to keep it.
How do I listen to podcasts?
Some podcasters make shows available directly from their websites. You can find others by using tools such as Apple's iTunes, Odeo or Yahoo. Downloading from these is simple, as is "subscribing" to your favourites. This means that each time you dock your MP3 player, it will update the latest episodes. - Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
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