Pod People

The New York Times notes some early efforts to make a profit at podcasting. The most important paragraph in the piece might be this one:

[Audible.com Chairman Donald Katz] warned that podcasting has become the Internet buzzword of the moment and so is at risk of being overhyped. "Podcasting is drafting on the magic surrounding the word iPod," he said.

That out of the way, here's why podcasting is significant after all. Internet radio has tremendously increased both the autonomy of the broadcaster, by lowering entry barriers and allowing new stations to proliferate, and the autonomy of the listener, thanks to services that let anyone create an automated, personalized format. Podcasting pushes both of those trends forward. The barriers to creating a podcast are even lower than the barriers to creating a continuous online radio station. And the portability of an iPod -- along with the ability to download shows automatically to that portable device -- give even more flexibility and autonomy to the user. (It also increases the audience for the podcasters, who had far fewer listeners back when what they were doing was called "audioblogging.")

For some historical perspective, I recommend Michael Brian Schiffer's 1991 book The Portable Radio in American Life, which takes an unfortunate turn towards protectionism at the end but is otherwise illuminating. And then there's Rebels on the Air, written by some clown called Walker.