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Apple, Radio Show Hosts Bolster Popularity, Accessibility of Podcasts

Posted on: Thursday, 21 July 2005, 21:01 CDT

Jul. 21--Thousands of people around the world enjoy listening to the opinions and commentary of Modestan "Socialist Steve" Manchester.

Whether it's a rant about the latest Bush administration policy or a review of how the Democratic Party has betrayed the left, eager listeners tune in.

But don't scan the radio frequencies for Manchester's show. He's not there.

Manchester can only be heard through a podcast. It's similar to a radio show -- usually homemade -- but is available only on the Internet.

Podcasts are placed on the Web by their creators using MP3 or compressed sound files. They can be heard on iPods, laptops, home computers and other devices that play MP3s.

Introduced about two years ago, podcasting is growing quickly in popularity, according to recently released statistics from Apple computers. There are thousands of podcasts, from commentaries about entertainment gossip to a weekly show about the Catholic Church hosted by a priest.

Recently, some professional radio broadcasters have recognized the growing popularity of podcasts and started releasing their shows as MP3s on the Internet.

"Everyone can find their niche in podcasts," Manchester said. "Oprah Winfrey once said that everyone wants to be heard. Podcasting is giving everyone a way to do that."

Manchester's Web site -- www.socialiststeve.com -- gets about 1,000 hits a day from about 37 countries. His podcast also is distributed by Apple through its iTunes software for the iPod.

"At first, I was afraid I would get a lot of hate mail, but instead I'm finding people from all over the world who agree with me," he said.

It wasn't always like that. Manchester, 55, used to be a regular caller to the now defunct Rick Minyard morning radio show in Modesto. Minyard was a conservative and Manchester, a mail carrier, would call in to challenge the talk show host.

"He used to call me a socialist, so that's how I got the name of the current show."

Minyard left the area in 1999, and Manchester created a Web page to share his views. Then last year, he heard about podcasting.

He found that all he needed to get his message out was a computer, a microphone and a sound card. He also uses other software and equipment so he can add soundclips of songs and political speeches. He ends every episode with him playing a song on his guitar.

So far, he has released 13 podcasts, each about 20 minutes long, focusing on a social or political issue.

Most podcasts are made by amateurs like Manchester, but in the past few months that has started to change. More professionals are turning to podcasts as a way to reach new audiences.

Dozens of radio networks have started releasing their shows as podcasts, from Air America's Al Franken to the BBC. There are podcasts about cooking, books, movies and sports. Even the stars of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" have an MP3 show. Recently, Rush Limbaugh announced he, too, was going to start podcasting.

Earlier this year, Infinity Networks, one of the largest radio network owners in the United States, announced it will change the name of San Francisco's AM station 1550 KYCY to KYOU Radio. It will only broadcast podcasts submitted by local listeners.

It's the interest by commercial stations that got Modesto resident Elise Domico, 31, hooked on podcasting. She used to listen to the Bob and Sheri radio show that was broadcast from Merced until the station "yanked it," she said in an e-mail to The Bee.

So she searched the Internet and found out the show was available as a podcast.

"I transfer it to my mini iPod and listen to it when I work out or when I have a long drive," she said. "I also recently started recording the Jim Cramer Show and Phil's Gang for my husband."

Podcasting began as a way to let radio listeners hear shows they missed. In 2003, National Public Radio host Christopher Lydon began turning his broadcasts into MP3 files that could be downloaded over the Internet.

In 2004, former MTV host and technical wizard Adam Curry popularized the trend when he founded iPodder.org, an online service that helps people find and download podcasts. Curry also started producing "The Daily Source Code" podcast seven days a week from his home in England.

Last month, Apple added podcasting support to its iTunes software, the program that helps iPod owners find music for their portable MP3 players.

Within 48 hours, more than 1 million podcast subscriptions were registered, Apple said.

Manchester believes homemade and professional shows released as podcasts will grow significantly in the next year. Apple's recognition of podcasts and growing sales of portable MP3 players will help popularize the format, he said.

"There's a lot of great guitar players out there who you've never heard of," Manchester said. "And there are a lot of people out there who can express their opinions well, too. Podcasting now gives those people a way to be heard."

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Modesto Bee, Calif.

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Source: The Modesto Bee

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