podcasts
Changing jobs this fall has also led to the cutting back around and sticking to a budget. first to go was the beloved satellite dish and tivo. we had really grown accustomed to the convenience of time shifting. skipping past commercials and watching shows on demand fit in well with our busy schedules. now podcasting has done the same for radio, as well as open up room for nitsch subjects that i consume during my workouts, daily commute and even weekly house cleaning adventures.
the best way to describe podcasting is "tivo for your radio", but.... you don't really need the radio anymore. now those npr "driveway moments" are absolute because you can finish listening to the program whenever you want. the other main breakthrough with podcasting is that many people now have the ability to create their own content no matter how small the audience might be.
because of podcasting i really don't miss the tv. no commercials, so far the npr podcasts with are very predictable, just fast forward 30 seconds to skip the ads. i have not found many great music podcasts but there are a variety podcasts whose topics i look forward to each week.
podcast based on tv/cable show:
battlestar galactica
a great podcast based on a great show. if you haven't checked this series out, don't worry its not the campy sugar of the original. the podcast is one of my favorite because it is basically a behind the scenes look a the creation and process of running a tv series. series creator ron moore is brutally honest talking about budget concerns, rewrites and admitting mistakes that have come along the way is the most honest discussion about the creative process and the realities and limitations of the marketplace.
podcasts based on radio shows:
benjamen walker's theory of everything
has radio monologues very much in the style of joe frank. at first i was distracted in the similarities but have his series has grown on me.
in our time
this bbc4 podcast covers history, the arts and sciences in a round table discussion. this summer they discussed they focused on the great philosophers which led up to a listener generated poll that crowned karl marx the most important philosopher "in our time"
left right and center (kcrw)
i used to only catch a little of this on the way home from work on fridays. one of the first political roundtable shows that doesn't focus on the "talking points" but a pretty realistic explanation of the "kabuki theater" and the process that is going on behind the scenes.
wnyc's soundcheck
i wish so much we had a show like this based in la. the kcrw music shows are hit and miss, and not as good as they were in the80's and 90's. now they are way too commercial. soundcheck is great, sometimes his opinions are a little too status quo, but john schaffer always has a great variety of guests
the treatment
this show is hit and miss, i like it more when its a subject that host elvis mitchell really believes in. lately most interviews seem to be picked for political reasons. its pretty sad when i hear tell that the same basic interview in on both the treatment and fresh air. but when its good...
the business
i'm not sure why i'm such a sucker for the "inside stuff" this show just got picked up nationally (does it really matter anymore if you are podcasting?) the best interviews in this show are with the studio accountants and people outside of "the business" i don't watch sports anymore, i guess this is why we don't have football in la.
pacific drift
i think this is kpcc's first jump into podcasting that started this summer. this show is a california cousin to this american life, but thankfully locally focused. its not a swarmy ripoff as the new york based the next big thing or quite as hit and miss as kurt anderson's studio 360. the best thing about pacific drift is their lack of production values. after a while the whole npr patina gets pretty too much to handle. they are starting small, taking care of the details and covering what they know.
radio based commentary:
martini shot (kcrw)
i just started subscribing to this one; a pretty humorous inside look at the hollywood scene by tv writer rob long
the road less traveled (kcrw)
automotive commentary by latimes writer dan neil
second opinon (kcrw)
medical commentary by dr. michael wilkes
original podcasts
this week in tech
this podcast is an offshoot of an techtv cable show that was cancelled sometime last year hosted by leo laporte. although i am a certifiable tech and gadget geek, my main reason for listening to this show is keeping up on the drama and changes in their various lives. the show "screen savers" was enjoyable because of the camraderie and relationships that developed between the on-air staff and crew and when the show was cancelled most of the group was scattered to the unemployment line. a few made the jump to the "new screen savers", but now all have left the network and still come together to talk about tech and their new jobs and projects. the most interesting thing is how they are creating their own loosely based alternative network through podcasts and kevin rose's new broadcast company revision3. what they are doing is truly grass roots and probably will become the first viable online distributed news show that posts a profit. at the end of the day its all about people and listening to these guys talk shop is probably similar to the early days at microsoft or apple.
equipment
you can listen to this stuff on your computer, but that kinda defeats the point. get a mp3 player, ipods work pretty well. i currently listen to my podcasts on a very small creative labs muvo n2oo. its pretty light, comes with a screen and is cheaper than the ipod shuffle. ipods are great, but the point is to get something that you don't mind carrying around with you. the lighter the better.
software
itunes is the easiest software to use to sync with your mp3 player (ipods only). but there is lots of other free software out there to use. look for suggestions on the podcast subscription pages. if you try something and its confusing, try another. good software should be easy to use and organize your podcasts
the best way to describe podcasting is "tivo for your radio", but.... you don't really need the radio anymore. now those npr "driveway moments" are absolute because you can finish listening to the program whenever you want. the other main breakthrough with podcasting is that many people now have the ability to create their own content no matter how small the audience might be.
because of podcasting i really don't miss the tv. no commercials, so far the npr podcasts with are very predictable, just fast forward 30 seconds to skip the ads. i have not found many great music podcasts but there are a variety podcasts whose topics i look forward to each week.
podcast based on tv/cable show:
battlestar galactica
a great podcast based on a great show. if you haven't checked this series out, don't worry its not the campy sugar of the original. the podcast is one of my favorite because it is basically a behind the scenes look a the creation and process of running a tv series. series creator ron moore is brutally honest talking about budget concerns, rewrites and admitting mistakes that have come along the way is the most honest discussion about the creative process and the realities and limitations of the marketplace.
podcasts based on radio shows:
benjamen walker's theory of everything
has radio monologues very much in the style of joe frank. at first i was distracted in the similarities but have his series has grown on me.
in our time
this bbc4 podcast covers history, the arts and sciences in a round table discussion. this summer they discussed they focused on the great philosophers which led up to a listener generated poll that crowned karl marx the most important philosopher "in our time"
left right and center (kcrw)
i used to only catch a little of this on the way home from work on fridays. one of the first political roundtable shows that doesn't focus on the "talking points" but a pretty realistic explanation of the "kabuki theater" and the process that is going on behind the scenes.
wnyc's soundcheck
i wish so much we had a show like this based in la. the kcrw music shows are hit and miss, and not as good as they were in the80's and 90's. now they are way too commercial. soundcheck is great, sometimes his opinions are a little too status quo, but john schaffer always has a great variety of guests
the treatment
this show is hit and miss, i like it more when its a subject that host elvis mitchell really believes in. lately most interviews seem to be picked for political reasons. its pretty sad when i hear tell that the same basic interview in on both the treatment and fresh air. but when its good...
the business
i'm not sure why i'm such a sucker for the "inside stuff" this show just got picked up nationally (does it really matter anymore if you are podcasting?) the best interviews in this show are with the studio accountants and people outside of "the business" i don't watch sports anymore, i guess this is why we don't have football in la.
pacific drift
i think this is kpcc's first jump into podcasting that started this summer. this show is a california cousin to this american life, but thankfully locally focused. its not a swarmy ripoff as the new york based the next big thing or quite as hit and miss as kurt anderson's studio 360. the best thing about pacific drift is their lack of production values. after a while the whole npr patina gets pretty too much to handle. they are starting small, taking care of the details and covering what they know.
radio based commentary:
martini shot (kcrw)
i just started subscribing to this one; a pretty humorous inside look at the hollywood scene by tv writer rob long
the road less traveled (kcrw)
automotive commentary by latimes writer dan neil
second opinon (kcrw)
medical commentary by dr. michael wilkes
original podcasts
this week in tech
this podcast is an offshoot of an techtv cable show that was cancelled sometime last year hosted by leo laporte. although i am a certifiable tech and gadget geek, my main reason for listening to this show is keeping up on the drama and changes in their various lives. the show "screen savers" was enjoyable because of the camraderie and relationships that developed between the on-air staff and crew and when the show was cancelled most of the group was scattered to the unemployment line. a few made the jump to the "new screen savers", but now all have left the network and still come together to talk about tech and their new jobs and projects. the most interesting thing is how they are creating their own loosely based alternative network through podcasts and kevin rose's new broadcast company revision3. what they are doing is truly grass roots and probably will become the first viable online distributed news show that posts a profit. at the end of the day its all about people and listening to these guys talk shop is probably similar to the early days at microsoft or apple.
equipment
you can listen to this stuff on your computer, but that kinda defeats the point. get a mp3 player, ipods work pretty well. i currently listen to my podcasts on a very small creative labs muvo n2oo. its pretty light, comes with a screen and is cheaper than the ipod shuffle. ipods are great, but the point is to get something that you don't mind carrying around with you. the lighter the better.
software
itunes is the easiest software to use to sync with your mp3 player (ipods only). but there is lots of other free software out there to use. look for suggestions on the podcast subscription pages. if you try something and its confusing, try another. good software should be easy to use and organize your podcasts
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10:30 PM
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