Podcasting Roundup: TV Nets, Business Models, Prognostications

This time a year ago podcasting as we now know it was just emerging. Adam Curry did his first podcast on Aug. 13, 2004, for those who want to mark time that way, becoming a glitzy pod-evangelist. The idea wasn’t new — Curry was prompted by audio files from IT COnversations and Dave Winer’s Coffe Notes. Fast forward: Curry’s podcasting company just got $8 million-plus in VC funding while naysayers insist podcasting’s popularity is a sham.
– Today’s sign of the podcast apocolypse: a company that does podcast voiceovers.
– The NY Times wonders if podcasts are “all the rage or about to fizzle?” Only three paragraphs about contrasting studies — one projecting 56.8 million users by 2010; the other projecting 30 million users by then — but the kind of headline that lingers.

Frank Moldstad, Digital Producer: It’s art versus commerce as Moldstad looks at podcasting’s origins and its future.

Dan Farber, ZDNet: Ron Bloom, Curry’s partner in Boku Communications, explains his business model on a recent Gillmor Gang podcast — tap into the $25 to $30 billion of advertising currently spent on “tired” radio advertising. Podshow.com/Boku, writes Farber, “aims to cultivate and pick the cream of the crop and monetize it.” Bloom also claims podcasting is “past the proof of concept” phase but I’m not sure you can base that on two VC rounds, one for them and one for Odeo. All 80-plus minutes of the Gillmor Gang can be downloaded here.

Wired News: TV Nets are embracing the concept but still feeling the way in practice and with uneven results. Some programs — Meet The Press, Nightline — work as audio podcasts but others don’t translate. One problem when it comes to entertainment: getting rights clearance for all the elements. Some nets are going the recap route but that can frustrate listeners looking for a full experience. Meanwhile, ABC News is considering premium podcasts for a dual revenue model similar to its ad-supported/subscription video model.

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