Comments on: On Radio: The Practice of Podcasting

By: Christopher Boulton

Christopher Boulton — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:15:21 +0000

“Perhaps I’ll compile them and include them in a future post…”

Please do! A couple suggestions:

MEDIA ANALYSIS
WNYC’s On the Media
Bob McChesney’s Media Matters

HISTORY
Backstory
APM: American RadioWorks

You might look into the lectures genre as well, whether TED or Profs like Sut Jhally making his courses available through iTunes U: http://www.sutjhally.com/courses

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:03:49 +0000

@Richard…Thanks for the comment. I’d love to do more work on exactly what makes podcasts, as you say, distinct (i.e. whether it’s aesthetics, tone, content covered, or the community that rises up around particular shows). The key methodological trick there is trying not to over-generalize given the variety of types of podcasts that exist and the individual styles they seem to follow. I’ve recently found some work on the motivations of podcasters but not as much on the podcasts themselves.

@Christopher…I’ve been following Toby Miller’s podcast for a while now, but thanks for the tip on the Critical Lede. I also just subscribed to Ren Reynolds’ Virtually Policy podcast, which is more about new media and policy than cult. studies, but useful for folks in that area. Anyone else have any other good academic podcast suggestions (general shows rather than podcasts specifically related to an author’s book)? Perhaps I’ll compile them and include them in a future post…

By: Christopher Boulton

Christopher Boulton — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 23:47:21 +0000

Good stuff Jeremy. Glad to see someone’s watching this space. Or would that be listening this space?

As for more academic applications, have you checked out The Critical Lede or Toby Miller’s Cultural Studies?

By: Richard Berry

Richard Berry — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:34:58 +0000

Jeremy, I totally agree. There is a real debate to had around what a podcast is. To me, there are marked characteristics inherent to Podcasts intended to consumed as such. They can lack the urgency of broadcast radio but at their best really understand their listener, in the way that mass media can struggle to. Not only because of the communities that can spring around podcasts but that’s an element too, I guess. A Podcast is distinct from other media forms and the great podcasts know that. Just like great TV producers make TV and don’t try to make movies. The mediums are that different
The use of the podcast platforms by broadcasters is interesting and I do note that there is more attempt now to reshape the content that goes online to make more distinct – rather than just recycling. Whether it’s the RadioLab guys offering bonus episodes or the morning show on a music station offering some additional perspectives on their shows (Chris Moyles On Radio 1 is an example here)
I don’t think I expected Podcasts to ever complete with radio. I expected an explosion and then a steady adoption and I’d suggest that’s pretty much what has happened

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:38:21 +0000

Thanks for the comment Evan. Actually, one of the podcasts I want to look at in the follow up to this is Maron’s WTF show. On the one hand, his story follows the optimistic narrative of someone starting a show out of their own garage (literally, in Maron’s case) and gaining a certain level of notoriety, but Maron’s also got a high level of connections within the traditional entertainment world that helps make the show what it is. He can afford to both be spurned by the traditional broadcast world and still benefit from it.

Your point is a great one though, in terms of providing a cheap way to develop and (possibly) pluck talent for more established radio or tv gigs. I’m also interested in the opposite trend too…radio and TV personalities who achieved some success in those media but were either let go or moved on, and used their podcast to maintain their audience and their involvement in media making.

By: Evan Elkins

Evan Elkins — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 18:03:39 +0000

Thanks for this, Jeremy. It seems like podcasts have been incorporated into broadcasting structures in another way: as training grounds and talent pools for success in “traditional” entertainment industries. Comedy podcasts are a good example. Marc Maron’s name is often thrown around as a potential talk-show host, and The Nerdist and Comedy Bang Bang have both been adapted for cable television (on BBC America and IFC, respectively). Podcasts offer a cheap, less encumbered way to experiment and reach an audience, but that road still occasionally leads to the money and recognition that comes from television.