In light of the success and bastardization of podcasting with the iTunes 4.9, it is time to put the brakes on a frightening trend… the “big business” attempt to take over podcasting.
When you look in the iTunes store under podcasting, you are instantly hit with a huge number of so-called podcasts created by mainstream media. Nightline, CNN, ESPN, and the thousands of KCRW feeds are just the tip of the iceberg that is corporate media’s foray into podcasting. These are not podcasts – they are simple a repackaging of existing content into pod format in an attempt to get ahead of this wave.
While iTunes 4.9 has meant millions of new listeners to podcasts, it has, at the same time, given the average listener a distorted view of what podcasting really is – a citizen driven medium. The “real” podcasts are being relegated to the “indie” section of iTunes when they are mentioned at all. The barrier to entry into the iTunes music store is high for smaller casts because of coding requirements and Apple’s excuse of a small staff editing the directory by hand.
So what can we do? What MUST we do? We must “Keep Pods Real!!” The first thing you can do is to unsubscribe to any podcast created by major media. Then, you need to let your audience know that if big business is allowed to tighten their grip around podcasting’s neck, we will be relegated to the edges of awareness just long enough for the creation of legislation prohibiting us from participating at all.
I will be creating a series of public service audio spots to distribute among the “real” podcasters. Expect them to be available by the end of the week. Include them in your casts, rant about it on your blogs, and together we can “Keep Pods Real!!”
Chris Doelle
I love the idea… if Apple sees that noone gives a flip about Nightline and ESPN as a podcast, maybe they will give up a little more of their precious space from some of the quality real podcasts.
On the contrary, most of the podcasts out there that aren’t professionally produced are extremely tedious. While I agree that it’s important to have independent media, and I enjoy NPR and other such non-commercial sources, I really hate having the podcast directory cluttered with personal podcasts of terrible quality. They make it difficult to find relevant material and threaten to extinguish interest in podcasts generally.
You don’t want podcast directories cluttered with terrible quality, but you are assuming the alternative is good. The little guy was run out of broadcast television… good thing because now we have uncluttered quality television – ha!
It doesn’t matter which side you choose, if you walk in lock-step with any ideology, you are still a sheep. NPR is as much commercial as FOX – they just have a different income model.
There are some horrible podcasts, but really – do we need CNN podcasting to save it from extinguishing? I think not.
Apple IS “major media” now. This is no different from anything Apple has been doing thus far with iTunes and the iTMS – bridging the gap between the online world and the dinosaur corporations that wants to keep the public’s attention, whim and fancy largely to itself.
Hey, let me know when your spots are ready. I’ll pop them on Mister Ron’s Basement.
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