I just saw Shel’s post regarding the future of podcasts. It’s a reply to Darren Barefoot’s statement that he’s not Smoking the Podcasting Dope. Personally I agree with Shel, I think podcasting will really alter the mainstream radio landscape. Let me rephrase that. The mainstream radio landscape will change immensely and one reason for the change is podcasting. I think the format of mainstream radio cannot be made more capitalistic. Everything is paid for air-time. Radio PR is overpriced and mostly useless. The content is not …, well there is hardly any. Shel writes: “My daughter, for instance, has pretty much given up on radio, since she hears the same songs (pushed by the labels) over and over again. What she likes about P2P and, now, podcasting, is the opportunity to hear alternative music.” I’d say, it is about individuality and the rotation of mainstream radio stations often sucks while news segments are heavily biased, stripped of priorization. Therefore people are looking for alternatives.
I think more and more listeners will make use of the technological development and make their own “radio program”. They will buy their music as download (or get it through P2P) and listen to the content they want via podcasts. Sure, it looks funny when you are wearing headphones while brushing your teeth, but at least you are listening to a program you chose.
It won’t happen over night, but the few companies who are still pumping money in radio ads will find cheaper ways to get to their (future) customers and will happily go those ways because less people will listen to mainstream radio. Why are people listening to whatever station Howard Stern is on? Because of Howard Stern. As reported, people are willing to pay money to listen to him. Imagine that in Germany. What would happen if the idolized morning hosts were lured to a “station” that let them do anything they wanted and release podcasts or start subsription radio. Radio stations are facing a similar dilemma as political parties. Many listeners/voters choose their favorite by the face of the station/party. What happens when that face is gone?