Voxmedia Wire

Newspapers and magazines such as the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Philadelphia Daily News, Washington Post and Forbes have started podcasts in recent weeks. Their programming varies widely. Some simply summarize the day’s news, while others aim for more of a radio-show feel with interviews of reporters and newsmakers. A few provide clips from professionally recorded radio programs, but most of the podcasts are low-budget, low-tech affairs hosted by print journalists who often have scant broadcast experience. Some publications want to be ahead of the curve on podcasts because they felt they were behind in embracing Web logs, or blogs — Web sites in which writers discuss topics in a diary form. But, just as with blogs, it is unclear whether podcasts will become a commercial success or help newspapers gain readers.

Papers Turn to ‘Podcasting’ In Bid to Draw More Readers (Wall Street Journal)

BMI has become the latest music industry resource to embrace podcasting. The rights licensing agency is launching a series of podcasts called “See It Hear First,” which will feature new music by represented unsigned acts. Each month, BMI will select acts to include in the virtual showcase. The first podcast will feature music from Jetpack, Astaire, somedaynew and Brendan James. The podcast will be available on the BMI Web site, and pushed to record company executives through BMI’s monthly newsletter and e-mail blasts.

BMI To Introduce Podcasts (Billboard Radio Monitor)

Podcaster Nate Fulmer is looking for work. Apparently, his podcast was too controversial for his former employer in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. While Nate was aware of the conservative views of some of his co-workers, he did not discuss his political or religious views with his co-workers. Di notes, “We had no warning whatsoever that our podcast could jeopardize his job, but he was cautious about not mentioning anything about his work on the show.” Nate lost his job at a laboratory supply company Friday afternoon, May 6th.

Podcaster Fired Over Podcast; Too Naughty for South Carolina (Podcasting News)

There’s a revolution in audio technology taking place in basements and garages all over the country. Call it do it yourself DJ’ing on the Internet. Thousands of Podcasts are out there, covering every niche from music to cooking to needlepoint. Virtually anyone with a computer can do it, and somebody, somewhere might be playing it back on their iPod.

Thousands Tune Into Podcasts (WCVB/Boston)

Grape Radio has microphones and a mixing board — all of the telltale signs of a radio station, except for one minor detail — Grape Radio is not actually on the radio. Michael Geoghegan, with graperadio.com, says, “The magic of the fact that once somebody puts a show up, it’s automatically downloaded to your computer, I just found really compelling.” The GrapeRadio crew are wine enthusiasts turned talk show hosts, not just in the studio, but also on the road.

Thousands of Podcasts Available Online (KLAS/Las Vegas)

As Internet booms go, the Twin Cities’ “podcasting” scene remains modest. But local podcasts — radio-like programs recorded on home computers and distributed as Internet downloads for the iPod-toting masses — are beginning to proliferate. Area podcasters are joining forces, too, with growth goals that mirror podcasting developments elsewhere in the country.

Podcasters explore regional potential (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. is latching onto the “podcasting” phenomenon, launching a show later this month that will feature a daily selection of the increasingly popular do-it-yourself audio programs. The move by Sirius comes just days after Viacom Inc.’s Infinity Broadcasting unit said it would convert a struggling talk radio station in San Francisco to an all-podcast format. The show, which Sirius was expected to formally announce on Monday, will begin broadcasting weekdays on May 13. It will be hosted by Adam Curry, the former MTV personality who helped create the technological tools that allow podcasting to work.

Sirius to offer ‘podcast’ show (Seattle Post-Intelligencer/AP)

Podcasting may be new, but it doesn’t look to be short-lived - the number of households downloading the audio programs onto their iPods or another MP3 player is expected to double next year, says Ted Schadler of Forrester Research. Because the process is so simple, local people are setting up tiny radio shows that are being heard around the world. Content is very niche and ranges from chats about bikes in Davis to music from the video game “Dance Dance Revolution.”

The Web’s next wave (The Sacramento Bee)

Michael Oster, a New Tampa podcaster who’s worked in audio mixing and engineering for years, has posted plenty of field recordings on his Web site. A couple of months ago, he started calling them podcasts. Almost overnight, his site traffic doubled. “There was now a name for this kind of thing,” Oster, 37, said. “I thought, well, since I’m already doing it, I just need to modify it a little bit to fit into the podcasting realm, and push it as that.”

Podcasting: The radio-free radio experience (St. Petersburg Times)

Podcasting will soon break out of the “pod” and onto the public airwaves. The world’s first all-podcast radio station will be launched on May 16 by Infinity Broadcasting, the radio division of Viacom. Infinity plans to convert San Francisco’s 1550 KYCY, an AM station, to listener-submitted content. The station, previously devoted to a talk-radio format, will be renamed KYOURadio.

Podcasting Killed the Radio Star (Wired)