Podcasting's Nonstar System

Greg Lindsay writes:  "... So now, how can [podcasters] make money? Well, once they cover their weekly hosting and production costs (three grand a year, tops, for a server, microphones, a laptop, and beer), the only thing they need to invest is their time. And for podcasters like the cohosts of Cinecast (podcasting's answer to Siskel & Ebert), who have 50,000 subscribers already, a living wage for each is just $2 per subscriber away. And the number of subscribers will only go up, right? ¶  But before they scramble to stick ads in their RSS feeds, they should hear the news: Podcasting is soooo over. That's the Washington Post's verdict, anyway, after noting how bits by the Queer Eye Fab Five, Al Franken, and Ted Koppel have already kicked podcasting's pioneers off the iTunes homepage (with the exception of feather-haired founding father Adam Curry). Things will only get worse once corporate radio arrives -- Clear Channel has made it clear that it considers podcasting merely radio by other means. ..."  Link:  Business 2.0.

Comments

[Andy Goodwin]

Hmmm I couldn't agree less. What the WP article misses is that we are increasingly seeing niche markets open up as more people demand more choice. Pretty much what you would expect from a mainstream media machine.

The whole point of podcasting is that it offers people choice. It democratises the media. Like any technology it will suffer a shake out and it will be adapted (and, some would say, hijacked from the purists) but it will subtly alter the way the mainstream players operate.

More people demanding more choice is surely a good thing. Most importantly the easier it is for people to produce their own content the closer we get to the vision podcasting had in the early days. We are not there yet but its getting closer.