That was part of a promo I heard on MSNBC tonight. First time I noticed the phrase, "embed video." Even the networks are figuring out it's a good thing to have your video embedded in millions of blogs and websites.
I'm sure there is still a lot of "...no, no! We want them to come to OUR website!" But the web IS the network now and your affiliates are are all those blogs.
There are just so many things I like about The PageCast, I'm not sure where to begin. First, what is The PageCast.
It's a 60 second video by Time Magazine's Mark Halperin, previewing the three stories that he thinks you should be watching for today. You'll find it on the top/right of The Page. Big whoop, right? Okay, here's some of the things I like about this simple idea (and this particular PageCast):
The news directors of our radio networks would be great at this. And their listeners/readers/viewers would eat it up.
UPDATE: My buddy Kay reports that Mark Halperin records PageCast between 7-9 a.m. (usually), wherever he happens to be and in whatever he happens to be wearing. If he's on the West Coast, he usually records them at night. He thinks of what he wants to say just before he begins recording (or in the shower or at the gym), on his MacBook Pro (edits with iMovie).
The idea was prompted by the desire to put video on The Page, while keeping it easy to produce and watch. Just as I suspected. Simple idea, well executed.
The guys at Podcasting News share highlights from a new report by Universal McCann that suggests new media is becoming mainstream media. Among the research highlights:
"Blogs are a mainstream media world-wide and a collective rival to traditional media (184m bloggers world-wide, China has the largest blogging community in the world with 42m bloggers) – 73% have read a blog, 45% have started a blog."
Key social platforms mentioned in the report: Blogging; Micro Blogging; RSS; Widgets; Chat Rooms; Message Boards; Podcasts; Video Sharing; Photo Sharing.
If you're in media now and these terms are foreign to you, or seem silly and pointless, the Cluetrain doesn't stop here anymore.
Those clever kids at Common Craft have created another useful explanation. This time, a simple intro to podcasting.
From Apple Insider via Podcasting News: "An Apple patent reveals that the company is working on a podcast aggregator that would dynamically collect the news that you are interested in and deliver a personalized news podcast. In other words - Apple wants to be your news and information station.
The system would allow you to:
* Subscribe to and personalize a podcast with software like iTunes;
* Select news segments selected from a variety of categories; and
* Automatically download the personalized podcast to your Apple TV, iPod or iPhone.
The custom news show could consist of a 5 minute segment from CNN on the day’s national news, a 5 minute segment from a local news station, and a 10 minute segment on sports highlights from ESPN.
Once you select the playlist of content that you’re interested in, Apple’s servers would request the latest podcast content from content creators, stitch the segments together and then deliver the personalized podcast to iTunes or other podcast software. As part of this process, Apple could insert targeted advertising dynamically."
Hmmm. A listener in the states served by our networks could include one of our 4 minute state newscasts, a three minutes sports report and a farm report. That "stitching segments together" part is what I find intriguing. Terry Heaton wrote about the "unbundling" of media. Is this a "re-bundling" of media?
If I were programming a local radio station, I'd be damned sure I had a killer local newscast/podcast up on iTunes.
Mark Ramsey points us to an interesting piece by "The Long Tail's" Chris Anderson on how his listening behavior to public radio has been transformed by podcasting.
"I realized that I don't really support my local affiliate. I love some of the shows it broadcasts and hate others. My attachments are to individual shows, not to a broadcast station. My engagement with public radio is at a more granular level than the affiliate.
Now that I get my radio via podcast, I don't have to take the bad shows with the good. I've got an a la carte menu, and I assemble my own schedule with what I want and when I want it.
But look at the arc of history here. The podcast model is getting cheaper and more ubiquitously available (who doesn't have a cellphone?), and it serves individual needs and taste better. Meanwhile the broadcast model, which is all about one-size-fits-all taste, is based on human labor costs and costly transmission equipment and is only getting more expensive. You can see how this story ends."
I've had the same guilty thoughts about my own listening habits. I like a lot of NPR programs but listen to them as podcasts. And I would be willing to pay for the best shows (This American Life, for example).
And my morning listening routine has improved with the purchase of a small speaker/doc for my iPod nano. Each evening iTunes downloads any new podcasts to which I'm subscribed, and syncs to the nano. In the morning I pop the nano into the speaker dock and listen to a perfectly customized line-up of progams.
"There's a mini-debate going on about whether podcasting is a success or worth it, or whatever, I'm not sure exactly what the issue is, but it's framed this way --> if you can't get advertisers to hitch a ride on your podcast then podcasting is not worth much if anything.
My phone doesn't have a business model. Neither does my porch. I still like having a phone and a porch because they help me meet new people and communicate with people I know. Same with my blog and podcast.
I do a podcast from time to time because I want to say something. Whether I can run an ad on my podcast means nothing to me because I would never do it. ... I would never burden my podcasting with the task of supporting me. It's not why I podcast. ... Blogging and podcasting exist independent of a professional's ability to eek out a living using the tools of blogging and podcasting."
You can read Mr. Winer's full post here.
My colleague David is helping a number of clients with blogs and podcasts and none are ad supported. They exist solely to help tell the client's story. Blogs and podcasts are inexpensive, effective, easy and fun.
For my part, nothing ruins a good hobby like trying to make money with it.
The MicPort Pro (from CEntrance) might just be the USB mic preamp I've been looking for (for years). It's a little gadget that lets you plug a professional grade dynamic mic into the USB port on a computer. I've tried several USB mics but none really sounded all that good. And I have a mixer with pre-amp that allows me to use a good mic with the MacBook but that means lugging around more hardware.
I won't try to describe the features and functions of the MicPort because the video at the bottom of this page does a fine job of that. ("No drivers. No batteries. No latency. Just plug it in and you are ready to record.")
You can hear what it sounds like on this 30 second video clip. Yes, I'm still playing with Photo Booth and and yes, the audio/video still isn't sync'd. Once they get that fixed, this will amuse me for hours.
Want to see how a serious blogger and podcaster covers an event? Former Learfielder Chuck Zimmerman clogged his arteries recently at the World Dairy Expo:
Please don't try this at home.
My first brush with the new iMovie was bumpy. I'm looking forward to taking another run at it, after watching the first of a two-part tutorial from from ScreenCasts Online.
ScreenCastsOnline is a weekly video podcast of computer based video tutorials. The video tutorials cover many different topics from week to week but predominantly cover mac related subjects. The video tutorials are in the form of "screencasts" which are basically videos of screen captures demonstrating a particular application or service, with a spoken commentary explaining what is happening on screen.
Don McAllister's easy-to-follow demo/tour was just what I needed. I'll still use iMovie HD (the previous version) for a lot of stuff, but when I need to throw something together quickly...
I can't recommend ScreenCastsOnline highly enough. It's a free podcasts but I recommend the Extra! membership ($50 a year).
Nice story in the Northwest Florida Daily News about The Destin Florida Podcast. The "voice" of the DFP --25-year-old Harley Van Hyning-- is a waiter at Pompano Joe's, a Destin native (I knew it!) and a recent graduate of the University of West Florida, where he got a degree in public relations and communications.
Harley and his buddy Ted Newkirk expect to eventually build an audience 80 percent out-of-towners and 20 percent locals with the twice-a-month podcast. Sounds like the right mix to me.
The Diffusion Group reports that, based on their latest research, 11% of adult broadband users (some 12 million US consumers) listen to podcasts at least once per month. They also predict that the podcast audience will more than double in the next five years, to 24% of broadband users (38.5 million Americans) by 2012. [Podcasting News]
Harley Van Hyning has been producing the Destin Florida Podcast for the last six months or so. I just listened to the latest podcast and it was pretty good. He plugged a couple of upcoming events; reported on beach restoration; some new bars and general interest news about the area. I thought he was right on the money.
People like us with a second-home in the area, or people planning vacations, will find the Destin Florida Podcast informative and interesting.
The podcast isn't over-produced but the production is clean and audio quality is very good. I liked Harley's style, too. Harvey didn't sound like a frustrated DJ but did include a song by a local band (Polyester Pimpstrap singing Serve It For Dinner).
I've subscribed to the podcast (iTunes) and will mention it here from time to time and give Harley a link at AmberJackLanding.com.
The podcast website isn't trashed up with a bunch of ads and it sounds like Harvey does this as a labor of love, although he might have plans to monetize the effort and why not.
When I come across something like this, I can't help making New Media/Old Media Comparisons. Why, for example, wouldn't a Destin radio station (or TV station or newspaper) produce a podcast like this? And they might, for all I know... I didn't look. But, if not, what a missed opportunity. Could "professionals" bring the same authenticity and passion to the effort? Maybe.
Haley, if you're reading this... how about a Google Map showing some of the locations you mention in the podcast? And maybe some photos on flickr?
Amazon.com today officially launched the Amazon Podcasts network, an original podcast offering that features four channels of free content: Amazon BookClips, Music You Should Hear, Significant Seven and
Amazon Wire.
Podcasting News: "NASA has launched a new video podcast, NASA EDGE, that provides an offbeat look at the nation’s aerospace program. The hosts of NASA EDGE offer an unscripted take on the latest events at NASA."
How easy it would have been for a big old gov'ment agency like NASA to do a boring, lame-ass video podcast. Real easy. I don't know if this will catch on but somebody gets it.
Good article in Business Week about how difficult it is to make a living as a podcaster. Seems I am one of about 35,000 daily listeners to Keith and the Girl:
"Keith Malley and Chemda Khalili, the couple behind Keith and the Girl, an engaging, sometimes raunchy Howard Stern-like podcast, have cultivated a devoted online audience. (Six fans have already had Keith and the Girl tattoos done.) The show, which has 35,000 daily listeners, is just one part of the brand. Just as important to fans are the online forums and MySpace.com (NWS ) pages where they gather to talk about the show and their lives. As a result of this devotion, the audience last year was willing to snap up about $80,000 worth of T-shirts, key chains, and other merchandise."
I bought a hoodie. Just trying to do my part.
Some would argue that $80K ain't bad for just shooting the shit for an hour a day. But, as a regular listener, sounds to me like they're working damned hard and earning every penny.
I'm a big fan of the Keith and the Girl podcast. If you have never listened you can skip this post because it probably won't make any sense. Keith is a sort-of stand-up comic who shoots the shit with his girlfriend, Chemda, for an hour every day. Explicit content. Not for sissies. I love the show.
I finally got around to visiting the "Support" page on their website and discovered some very effective ad copy. For example:
"Blockbuster gives you sissy cuts of movies and claims you didn't return your film. Netflix gives you the dirtiest version available and gives you the benefit of the doubt. Blockbuster doesn't believe the holocaust happened. Netflix has all the holocaust movies. Netflix has never let us down. Blockbuster raped my grandmother. (You can rent those tapes through Netflix.)"
I would be very surprised if Keith did not write this copy. Clearly his style. This copy is effective because it is --in the context of their podcast-- real. This is the way Keith and Chemda talk. This is what their listeners expect from them. Attitude.
I'm not sure some ad agency wonk could write this. And if they tried, it somehow would not sound legit. And I'll bet you a hot oil back rub that Keith and Chemda insist on writing the copy. They get that Madison Avenue bullshit would not work on their site.
I spent a lot of energy in the late 90's trying to convince people I worked with (and anyone I could get to listen) the Internet was a force to be reckoned with. Something that would touch and change every part of our lives and our business. There was plenty of eye-rolling and rib-nudging. Then, one day, I didn't have to say another word. Anyone with a functioning cortex understood the Internet wasn't just happening... it had happened.
Five years ago I started blogging and, a couple of years later, listening to podcasts. Again, I tugged at a few sleeves and suggested these tools would be/could be/should be part of what we do. The reactions were very similar.
As I swill Rocket Fuel and surf away another Saturday morning, I come across story after story about how people, company organizations are blogging and podcasting. Out of habit, I started to forward these to those who would (or should) want to know...and I stopped.
No need. If you don't get it by now, you won't. I'll continue to post on these topics (until even that seems pointless), but I won't spend every evening tip-toeing up and down the hall, sliding these links under co-worker's doors.
Whew. Glad that's over.
Business Week is hyping the advertising potential of podcasts, calling them The Next Big Ad Medium. According to their analysis, podcasts are poised to grab a larger slice of the multibillion-dollar online advertising pie. They highlight research from eMarketer expects that advertisers will spend more than $400 million on podcasting by 2011, up from $80 million last year. [Podcasting News]
Related: Lost Remote points to a new Forrester report that 10 percent of North Americans online downloaded a podcast at least once a month in 2006. Nearly half, 49 percent, of Gen X and Gen Ys downloaded podcasts at least once a week. LR adds, "In my experience, video podcasts that are repurposed from TV are not attracting significant numbers of downloads. But original, niche content -- that’s unique in style and personality -- is making some real forward progress."
FarmerFeeds.com is the latest "why didn't I think of that" idea from Dwayne Leslie. The website is a directory of agricultural podcasts (there are more of them than you might think).
Dwayne is a "Farm Internet Entrepreneur" who has developed some very successful Internet businesses over the past 10 years. These include Prairielinks.com Aglinks Directory, The Internet's largest farm auction calendar at Farm Auction Guide.Com, and a Classified website at AgClassifieds.com.
I met (and interviewed) Dwayne Leslie a couple of years ago. A nice guy who knows how to mine Internet gold.
Disclosure: FarmerFeeds.com features a number of podcasts produced by one of our networks, BrownfieldAgNews.com
Radio Iowa reporter Stella Shaffer produces "Radio Iowa: Week In Review" and it's a nice toe-in-the-podcast-water for the network. She pulls together the top stories of the previous week:
"The old governor's got a gig teaching law at Drake, the new governor wants a dollar-a-pack increase in the cigarette tax, and an economist tells us what that might cost. The new improved state minimum wage may also have unanticipated consequences, according to HeadStart heads. Bitter cold played a part in the apprehension of an auto-theft suspect, OSHA offered a helping hand to migrant workers while one mayor wants a fulltime cop to bust them, and we mourn two more Iowa soldiers lost."
Another of our networks began repurposing feature programs as podcasts last year. But RIWIR is our first true podcast (by my definition).
We have some really good reporters working in our newsrooms. Historically, if they came up with a good idea for a new program, it could only fly if we could convince enough affiliate stations to "clear" it.
In the world of podcasts, they are only limited by their imaginations and the hours in the day. I'm hoping to hear some good stuff in the coming year.
J. T. Gerlt reports that your grandpa's favorite magazine is podcasting:
I never really thought of Reader's Digest as cutting edge. The outside has basically looked the same forever. They have the same insides too Only in America, Everyday Heroes, Word Power, Humor In Uniform, Quotable Quotes, and etc., but someone there must be pretty progressive thinking. Most of the audio is 3-5 minutes long, the longest I saw was 11 something.
I'm betting Aunt Betty isn't syncing her iTunes and playing canasta with buds dangling from her ears, but I could see her listening in front of her PC. Which is how a LOT of podcasts are being heard. I'll check 'em out and report here.
Ford Motor Company and Microsoft are expected to announce new "Windows Automotive" software called "Sync," that will make it possible (easier?) to make hands-free cell phone calls and download music or receive email.
From Mark Ramsey at Hear 2.0: "If you can use your car to download music, you can also use it to stream music. And if you can stream music then you can do so from any number of music providers, not just your radio station."
"What is YOUR group doing to be in front of this trend? What is YOUR group doing to be in every car in every way in 2007 and beyond? What content do you have that every Ford will want to stream?"
If I were still a radio station program director, I might grab a program schedule and go through the day asking that question about each programming element. I think there will be lots of stuff folks in my local market will want to hear (news, weather, sports, etc) but they won't want to make an appointment to listen to it. They'll want to have it automatically downloaded to their cars so they can hear it when they want it. Podcasts.
Henry wants to know my ten favorite podcasts and blogs. I read a lot more than 10 blogs a day, but if I had to pick 10, they would be:
Scripting News, Boing Boing, Dilbert Blog, Doc Searls, Jeff Jarvis, Mark Ramsey, Micro Persuasion, Podcasting News, Seth Godin, and GrowLearfield.com + all of the Learfield blogs. Links to the right.
As for podcasts, I don't think I listen to 10 on a regular basis, only because I don't have time. I sample others from time to time bu the ones I listen to regularly are:
MacCast, Keith and the Girl, Podcast 411, This Week in Tech, Diggnation, NPR Technology, This American Life, Cutting Edge (Business Week).
All are weekly except Keith and the Girl which is daily. Usually an hour.
A company called QuickPlay has come up with a way to stream podcasts directly from a central server, instead of downloading and storing on space-limited memory cards. They say they have lined up some high-profile content providers, ranging from ABC News to the Wall Street Journal. The service is available immediately for $8 per month and requires an existing BlackBerry connected to a cellular provider's data plan.
It's going to get easier and easier to watch/listen stuff on portable devices. Once that happens, I think we'll stop using the term podcast. [electronista]
Nielsen Media Research has released findings from its 3rd Quarter Home Technology Report which show that MP3 players are now found in a quarter of US homes, and that more U.S. households now own DVD players (81.2% of all households) than VCRs (79.2% of households). The penetration of MP3 players has jumped by 150% in the last three years. [Podcasting News]
One of my rationalizations for buying a new iPod nano was the Voice Memo feature. Plug a mic in and record directly to the iPod. I had no idea how well this would work until tonight when I plugged in a tiny little mic called the iTalk Pro from Griffin Technology.
Pops into the bottom of the iPod and records in mono or stereo. The interface on the iPod is a wonder of simple design.
I'll let you decide on the quality but I can certainly imagine recording an interview with this delightful little gadget. And I've always got the nano with me anyway, so...
ESPN is launching a local podcasting network. Sounds like they're starting with shows from their five owned-and-operated stations while inviting affiliates to be part of the podcast network.
For more than a year, ESPN has been offering about 20 podcasts of national ESPN programming through PodCenter and selling advertisers two spots, one 15-second spot rolling prior to the content and a 30-second post-content spot. The new local podcasting network provides advertisers the opportunity to buy a local podcasting network or target individual markets or regions. Participating affiliates will get a share of the network revenue sold.
The local stations could (and may be) podcasting on their own but I have to believe this approach (whole greater than sum of parts) makes sense. Once clearance becomes a non-issue, there might be an explosion of such podcast networks. [Mediaweek via Radio and Records]
The BBC is recruiting podcasters to help cover the US mid-term elections. They're looking for:
The BBC blog post suggests some ways to contribute:
The BBC says that "by enlisting your help we'll have coverage that isn't just about pundits and experts but gives us a real flavour of what the race is like for ordinary Americans that cuts through some of the stereotypes about politics in the US."
One of the great strengths of our statewide radio networks has been the collaborative efforts of our affiliates. Radio station news directors throughout the states we serve would report on stories of statewide relevance, feed them back to the network, where we would uplink back to all stations on the network. Resulting in a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts.
But as radio station owners slashed their news operations (to reduce operating costs), a lot of "statewide" stories just didn't get covered. It was all the local news folks could do just to keep on top of their "local" stories. No time to feed something to the network. (I should point out that many network affiliates still do an amazing job of contributing stories to our networks.) One can only hope that we'll see a swing back toward strong, well-staffed local news departments.
But perhaps the next network will look more like what the BBC (and others) are putting together. Citizen Journalists (pick another name if you don't like that tag) covering and sharing hyper-local news in an infinite variety of ways.
The tools already exist. A housewife in Joplin shoots 2 minutes of video outside her local polling place, including comments by those standing in line to vote. The Internet means distribution will never be a problem again. All that's missing is some structure to pull it all together in some coherent manner. Perhaps something like the BBC effort.
"Yeah, but how do we make money with this model, smays?"
I'm not sure that is the right question but it's a reasonable question.
First, the costs associated with setting up something like this are relatively small when compared to traditional broadcast networks with satellite trucks and producers and editors and so forth. But it would take time to grow (as did our networks). And you'd probably have competition since this is a game almost anyone can play.
So, is there enough profit in something like this to make it worth the investment of time and money? If you already have a cow that's giving milk (cash), maybe not. If you don't own a cow, this might seem like a good way to start building your herd. [via Podcasting News]
I hesitate to call it that since it was always our intention to do the Living Healthy Podcast for a year. On Tuesday, Dr. Domke and I will record our 50th show and we're making it our final regular podcast. Let's just call it the end of our first season. We might produce a few "specials" or bring the podcast back with a different format. But, for now, it's time to take a break. Our last two topics were Shingles and Irritable Bowel Syndrome so, yeah, it's hiatus time. I think LHP #50 will be pretty interesting so watch this space for a link.
I love This American Life, Ira Glass' public radio show. I don't think there' anything better on the radio. Period. I hate it when I miss it on the local NPR station. Starting Monday, each show will be available to podcast subscribers on the Monday following its national broadcast. After seven days, the shows wil migrate to the program’s online archives. The price for downloads of these archived shows is $0.95 cents per show. Each is available at Audible.com and at the iTunes Store. [Podcasting News]
Mark Ramsey points to a classic example of MSM cluelessness (CBS in this instance). His post makes me uncomfortable because our networks produce a lot of programs (newscasts and sports reports) that are comprised of 3 minutes of programming and one minute of commercial.
What if we were only podcasting that program. Would listeners swallow that? I'm thinking not.
Back in the dark old days, when one of our networks was oversold, we'd just jam in more spots and ask stations to air programs that had more commercial content than programming. Shudder.
Mark sums it up nicely:
"In our zeal to monetize our online content, remember that podcasts are downloaded and played voluntarily. It's because we like you and want more of you. Yes, we'll tolerate advertising in podcasts - but not 30 out of 90 seconds!"
Henry and I are closing in on the first anniversary of the Living Healthy Podcast. Program #47 will be online around nine o'clock Friday. The topic is immunization. Specifically, shots and vaccines for adults. I think the open is mildly amusing.
Just listened to the latest podcast from the Missouri State Teachers Association. They call it The Pulse. Co-hosts Todd Fuller Gail McCray broke a little digital ground (I'm guessing) by using the podcast to announce the canidates the MSTA is endorsing in the November election. They spent the first part of the podcast explaining how their endorsement process works. Then they mentioned a few specific endorsements and pointed the listener back to their website for the full list of candidates.
Why do I think this is worth a post? As I listened to Todd and Gail explain this process, I kept thinking they would NEVER get airtime (radio or TV) for that kind of "deep dive." But it's important to their audience (teachers, candidates). And by using their podcast to make the announcement, it raises awareness of their podcast. (You now know about it because you read this blog which has nothing to do with education or politics.)
If you want to see/hear how to do an "association podcast," check out MSTA's The Pulse.
Scott's notes and impressions from the podcasting session at the NAB Radio Show. I am assuming the focus was on how broadcasters can use podcasting.
Rather slow and uneventful (although the panel was loaded with the right kind of people)
Subscriptions should be for extra stuff only
Merchandise is huge rev source
Repurposing interviews and special segments GOOD. Normal programming BAD. But time shifting is GOOD. ????
Listeners don't mind commercials if content is good and on-demand.
The guy next to me breathes very, very loudly.
Podcast listeners are more apt to be info junkies.
None on this panel seem excited or comfortable.
Use podcasting to distribute info/ent that you wouldn't normally spend valuable air time for.
Perishable programming - content must always be fresh but must have a long shelf life too. People have to be able to come back and relive or discover (archives) and that info/content must be relevant. Ads are the killer. Ads have to be current at all times. PodShow's tech allows the show to be assembled with current ads whenever the consumer downloads.
Length - 22 min for audio, 5 for video.
Podcasts must promote interaction.
All of this (podcasting, mp3, internet) comes from telephones. It will all go back to telephones. No more "ipod only" products. Speculation.
Excellent interview at AdAge.com with Leo Laporte. Leo is the man behind TWiT (This Week in Technology), one of the most popular podcasts (monthly reach of 500,000). Which is why the podcast has attracted Dell, T-Mobile and Visa as advertisers. According to the AdAge piece, Laporte's podcast mini-empire could rake in as much as $2 million dollars in a year, but he says he's more concerned about how to not ruin the medium with advertising. Excerpts:
"...all podcasters agree that podcasting has more value than radio or almost everything and we deserve a high cost per thousands [of listeners] and are going to create an environment that's worth it for advertisers. We don't want to jam it for advertisers. And the audience will let you know -- they're not passive. It's more of a conversation than a monologue. ... We need to hold the line and really deliver quality advertising. It's going to be hard at first, [podcasters will have to be] turning down advertisers, running fewer ads than you'd like, not take in as much money as you'd like. But if we can focus on delivering something of value we can make both advertisers and listeners happy."
When asked if he thinks podcasts from mainstream media companies will exercise enough restraint in the advertising:
"I hope they screw it up. I see them as using podcasts to drive to their bread and butter. We're narrowcasters and they're broadcasters and there's a big difference. "Ask a Ninja" wants to be "Seinfeld" but people like me and most I know are narrowcasters. We want to super-serve an audience and develop a relationship. [Broadcasters] see themselves as delivering a lot of people to advertisers and inefficiently. But those days are drying up. There will always be the Tides and Coca-Colas who can afford that but most companies in this modern world need to be efficient and they can be by using these new technologies."
I have no doubt MSM companies (like ours) can produce quality podcasts. And, given our built-in promotional opportunities, we should be able to attract listeners. Will we "screw it up" when it comes to the advertising model? Don't know. To be continued.
Had lunch with Todd Fuller yesterday. Todd's the communications guy for the Missouri State Teachers Association who --along with his partner, Gail McCray-- does a weekly podcast for MSTA. I posted an interview with Todd and Gail last week.
I don't know if it's his first love but Todd's a gamer and --along with his pal Matt-- produces another podcast called Short Attention Gamer. According to their website:
"Short Attention Gamer is the podcast for those who love playing games but don't always have the time to play them. Matt and Todd, both family men and gaming enthusiasts, take you through the newest games and consoles available and breakdown which of these reward those individuals who can play for only short periods of time. If you find some of your best gaming sessions are taking place in a
locked bathroom with kids banging on the door on the other side, then this show is for you."
Todd is a pretty modest guy but, reading betwen the lines, I got the impression SAG is a well-known and popular podcast. Exhibit A: A very clever annimation by one of their fans who took a segment from one of their podcasts and... just watch it. It's short and funny. And if you're into games, check out Short Attention Gamer.
Todd Fuller and Gail McCray produce and co-host The Pulse, a weekly podcast for the Missouri State Teachers Association. The 25 podcasts they've produced since January, 2006, cover a wide variety of topics. When I listened to one of their podcasts last week, I was immediately struck by the quality and professionalism of the production. Not sure why I was surprised, since they're both communications pros but it drove home one more time that anyone with something to say now has the means to be heard.
Near the end of the 30 minute chat (AUDIO), Todd mentions something I found very interesting. The association endorses political candidates and it's a big deal (at least to the candidates). Typically those announcements would be made via news release to the big newspapers and media outlets. This year, MSTA plans to make the announcement on their podcast as well as putting the word out via blogs. I think that is brilliant I'll bet they get a lot of play out of it.
Todd and Gail are making great use of podcasting and I have no doubt other associations will see the impact of what MSTA is doing and jump in the water.
PS: In addition to Todd and Gail, you'll hear David Brazeal in a couple of places... but we lost him due to my lack of experience with Skype.
We have a lot of talented, experienced radio people where I work. What if one of the honchos called us (I'm including myself based on experience, not talent) all together and said, "I've been reading about these podcast things and I think we should have one. Money is no object, but I want a show that delivers 100,000 downloads a week and you have one year to deliver. Go get 'em."
Could we do it? Where would we start?
Topic. Do we pick a topic in which we know there's a lot of interest? Or is that space already too crowded? Does it matter if the people on our team know anything about the topic? Must we be passionate about it or will our "professionalism" carry us through?
Talent. Do we want a veteran broadcaster? Or a fresh, undiscovered talent? Should they be funny? Young? Old? Do we go with co-hosts?
Format. Do we make it slick with lots of production values? Or do we go for from-the-basement, hand-held camera realism? What about frequency/length? Daily five minute update or weekly half-hour magazine?
Promotion. Okay, we'll submit our feed to iTunes and all the podcast directories... what else? We'll pester all the A-list podcasters in hopes of a link or a mention. Should we buy some spots on MSM outlets?
Sheesh! So many questions. And probably not that different from what radio and TV programmers do all the time. If they can't deliver the ratings within a reasonable time period, the show gets yanked. But they're starting with an audience. What does it mean when you have zero listeners on Day One?
And every day there is more competition for attention. The potential audience is ever more fragmented. And if they try you once and don't like what they hear, they never come back. In the Old Days, you listened to your local radio stations... or you didn't listen. So we get ONE SHOT with each listener, who has HOURS of podcasts on her nano. She can't listen to what she has, so why will she listen to our new podcast?
If I were a honcho, I think I'd approach this differently. I'd put out an open call to everyone one in the company (not just the reporters and producers and writers and "talent.") Anyone wants to produce a podcast... we'll provide the equipment, technical support (hosting, bandwidth, etc), and give everyone half a day every week to produce their podcast. You pick the topic but you must produce a show every week or it's back to the cube. Then we sit back and watch what happens.
Many (most?) will give up after the first few weeks. Too much work, not as much fun as they thought it would be. Would we get any break-out hits? Don't know. What I do know, you'd wind up with something very different than from the first model. Instead of a podcast with 100,000 downloads... maybe we wind up with 100 podcasts, with 1,000 downloads.
This is a closed-circuit post for David and Henry. A couple of ancient radio guys and budding podcasters, checking their equipment (you should excuse the expression).
I noticed David was online (via his Skype icon) this evening so I Skyped him and we were chatting away. He in his hotel room in Kansas City...me here at home. And then Henry called in, to check out his new Skype account. Once we figured out how to hook up for a conference call we chatted for a bit (3.5 min), just checking out levels.
David was on a laptop PC on hotel wireless with a Realistic (Radio Shack?!) mic. I was running a Heil PR-20 mic through a little $40 Behringer mixer into the MacBook. Henry was using the built in mic on his MacBook and some headphones. My level was too hot but I wasn't expecting to talk to either of them, so...
It was Henry's maiden voyage on Skype so he didn't know what to expect. But David and I recall many nasty dial-up phoner from our local radio days. But we were all impressed with the quality of our first Skype three-way (you should excuse the expression).
From Podcasting News: "About.com, a New York Times property, has launched a sponsored medical podcast about heartburn and acid reflux. Each podcast will be approximately three to five minutes long and will be introduced monthly. The series --the first of its kind on About.com-- is sponsored by AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company that makes Prilosec and Nexium heartburn and acid reflux medications.
"The podcasts allow us to provide educational information to patients in a unique and creative way," said Dana Settembrino, brand communications manager, AstraZeneca.
Topics to be covered include: What Causes Heartburn; Acid Reflux and Your Diet; How to Talk to Your Doctor about Acid Reflux; Exercising with Acid Reflux; and How Stress Affects Your Acid Reflux.
According to Marjorie Martin, general manager, ABOUT Health, "Podcasts provide an exciting new format for delivering trusted health information. Users can now choose to listen online or take the information with them. This series on heartburn and acid reflux disease should provide the millions of sufferers with the tools to better manage their condition."
Dr. Mona Khanna, M.D., M.P.H. is the program's host. "Dr. Mona" is a quadruple board-certified practicing physician and Emmy award-winning medical correspondent."
We covered heartburn on the Living Healthy Podcast back in February.
I find Henry's conversational style more to my taste than Dr. Mona's scripted read, but I'm hardly objective. Would love to know what AsstraZeneca is paying for this and their expectations. But one can assume they think this makes more sense than 30's and 60's. About.com seems like a good fit. You go looking for info on heartburn...and find a podcast on the subject.
But how sustainable is this? I think sponsoring something with broader topic scope might make more sense.
My friend Henry Domke has produced and posted the first Prairie Garden Trust Podcast. Friends and supporters of PGT can now get regular updates via podcast. While I'm not exactly an "outdoorsy" guy, I'm stoked about Henry using this new technology. He invested a couple of hundred bucks in a podcast starter set (mics, mixer, headphones, etc) and is using GarageBand3 (MacBook) to produce. In a matter of hours, he had his first show online, ready for subscribers. His first show has a couple of rough edges but he'll smooth those out as he goes.
In The Old Days, he might have tried to find a radio station that would give him (sell him?) some time on a Sunday morning. Today, he's global. Anybody, anytime, anywhere. If they care about his topic, they can listen. Still another example of The Long Tail at work. No topic is too obscure. If one person cares enough to produce the show ... and one cares enough to listen, the costs of production and distribution are so close to zero, there is no barrier to getting started.
Keith and the Girl fans received an email today, touting a new movie coming out in a couple of weeks. Crank stars Jason Statham (Snatch, The Transporter, The Italian Job) and opens September 1st. The email pointed me to the trailer:
"It’s a cool ad, and it brings KATG a little scratch whenever it’s viewed. So take a look-see and pass it to your friends. And then get back to work! How are we gonna survive as a society if everyone’s watching movie promos all day?!"
I really like Statham so I was glad to know about the movie. And I'm even more inclined to watch the trailer (and tell others) because it helps KATG... and I'm a fan. Do you see how this is different than just running the ad on one of the TV networks? Would love to know how much KATG got for this. Hope it was a lot.
That's the tile of a video training CD from lynda.com. The instructor, Scott Bourne, is really good. GarageBand a piece of Apple software most noted for making music but the latest upgrade includes some nice podcasting features. I have access to very good recording and editing hardware and software but I'd like to see what I can produce on the MacBook. The two CD set runs about $50 bucks but I think it's worth it. I confess I got hooked by working through the first few lessons on the lynda.com website. I think it was at the end of Lesson #3 that I realized I'd have to subscribe or buy the CD to get more. By then I was hooked. Well done lynda.com. Let me get through the two CD's and I'll put something together, post it here and you can judge for yourself if the training is any good. [Amazon]
Jeff Jarvis pulled a couple of stats from the latest Nielson report on podcasting. 6 percent of U.S.adulst (9 million people) have downloaded podcasts inthe last 30 day. The most successful podcasts are getting two million downloads a month. It has occurred to me that the same people (in my world) that pooh-pooh such reports, are the same people that insisted "this Internet thing" was nothing more than hyped-up fad that would soon fade. If you want to understand why people are creating and listening to podcasts, read The Long Tail.
We are turning from a mass market back into a niche nation, defined now not by our geography but by our interests. (Pg. 40)
A co-worker recently observed that most of the podcasts he has listened to were boring. That's like saying most of the books in the library are boring. I think that will change for him as he finds more and more podcasts dealing with things that interest and entertain him. It's no longer necessary to watch/listen/read boring stuff. For the first time in recorded history, it's possible to find all thing things (and only the things) that interest you. I'm sure glad I didn't miss this.
Favorite line from the show notes for Living Healthy Podcast #36 (Knee Pain): "For many people avoiding certain activities such as running or walking on irregular surfaces like plowed fields or broken pavement can help a lot."
In Living Healthy Podcast #35, Dr. Domke leaves the colon and anus behind, and moves on to anxiety disorders. There are five general kinds but he focuses on Generalized Anxiety Disorder ("Exaggerated worry and tension, which fills most days. Always anticipating disaster.") A little close to home for smays but I resisted the temptation to ask for a prescription while we were still recording. This was a good one.
If you are under the age of 50, skip this post. In Living Healthy Podcast #33, Dr. Domke talks about colon cancer. Very bad juju. Second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. But easily treated if detected early and much of the half-hour podcast deals with colonoscopy screening. Long-time readers will recall that smays had his first screening a couple of years ago and it was a walk in the park. Seriously.
I hate being nagged and would never recommend it but if you have a loved one that is over fifty and has not had a colonoscopy, ask them to. Then insist that they do. Then make their life a living hell until they do. Like Henry says, how many chances do you get to save someone's life?
Keith and the Girl; TWiT; Digg Nation; MacCast; Podcast 411 and NPR: Technology. That's about four hours of listening and will easily take me into the weekend.
Bridge Ratings today released its monthly update on podcast use in 10 national markets (a sample of 2,400 podcast users). 60% of those ages 12-24 had listened to a podcast during the last 30 days, up from 53% in a survey released in April, while 49% of 25-34-year-old podcast users listened to a podcast in the last month, up from 45% last month.
I'm not sure if the followintg stat surprises me or not: "On average, less than 20% listen to their podcast downloads on an MP3 player or other digital device."
I haven't played with GarageBand much but plan to. Supposed to make podcasting a snap. And the folks at Apple think there might be some business applications for podcasting:
"Promoting your business just got easier. Create a podcast with GarageBand, post it to iTunes in minutes, and reach customers, clients, and partners in a whole new way. Chefs are sharing recipes. Maternity store owners are giving the lowdown on diaper bags. And other professionals are airing business discussions, marketing new products and services, and keeping people informed."
You think? [SEM Pro]
