Podcastplayer.org news

Here’s an interesting article that doesn’t mention podcasting, but throws some light on issues that I think are likely to grow in importance in the podcasting community in the near future.

I may have been slapped down for it, but I am still convinced that one of the many important reasons that people listen to podcasts is because they have no commercials. The following article raises this point too, but in the context of “subscriber radio":

XM Radio: What Exactly Is The Definition of Commercial-Free?

For me, the important thing about this article is not so much the corprate nit-picking about what legally constitutes a commercial, but the bit about how listeners think of commercials:

Well respected Radio consultant Mike McVay from McVay Media agrees and says radio stations:

“…run :15 promos, traffic commercials, weather commercials, sold and sponsored PSA’s, and community activity calendars that are sponsored. They do not count these as part of their commercial load. The listeners always count them as part of the commercial load. Listeners hear anything that is not music or entertainment as a commercial.”

Paul Maloney, editor of R.A.I.N. (Radio And Internet Newsletter) says, “My instinct tells me that MOST listeners would categorize ANY kind of announcements that interrupt music (or other programming) as ‘commercials.’”