Podcasting from PodcastCon

Here at last is my audio report on the fab conference in London last weekend, PodcastCon The download is here

There really was a buzz about the conference, and I left with a feeling that something quite significant is happening. It is not just the real enthusiasm for making programmes that is apparent, but the numbers which show that people are listening to Podcasts in a big way.

The BBC has embraced podcasting, and in my report I spoke to Chris Kimber, the BBC’s head of interactive radio. He denied that independent podcasting posed a threat to the BBC’s dominance, but he did concede one point - when a programme is on iTunes, the BBC brand counts for less because it is not being played out on a network. Each programme is an individual product and stands on its own merits. This does actually create a level playing field for the first time.

I met a couple of podcasters who are demonstrating how there are niche audiences out there. Poker players, Zog and Henry are getting 1,500 downloads for each of their PokerDiagram podcasts. They are not making much money out of the show but I cannot help thinking that they could - poker is big business on the internet.

My third interview was with Alex Bellinger, one of the organisers of the event, and the voice of the excellent SmallBizPod. He is a public relations man and he speaks to companies about podcasts among other things. He is optimistic that there is a real commercial interest.

I am glad you cannot see the time that I am posting this. I have spent much longer than I meant to putting this together. There are still a few mangy bits, but I just have to cut my losses and put it out. Podcasting is quite a time consuming affair.

This entry was posted on September 20th, 2005 and is filed under Blog Home, Podcasts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or Trackback from your own site.