It wasn’t that long-ago families regularly gathered around the radio to listen to their favourite comedies, dramas and variety shows. Jack Benny, Little Orphan Annie and Orson Welles filled the airwaves. Transfixed, audiences hung on their every word. Without question, radio was definitely the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. Unfortunately, radio was doomed from the start. Audiences found it difficult to resist TV’s magical combination of sound and images. By 1954 half of the households in the USA had a television set and there was no going back.
Fast forward to 2019, when one must ask, “is cable TV dying?” The quick answer is YES. Network television ratings have been declining for years as a significant number of people turn to online programming for their entertainment. Interestingly, as TV viewership declines podcast growth is literally exploding. What’s a podcast you ask?
Basically, a podcast is an audio or video broadcast, distributed over the internet. Think on-demand radio. Yes, it appears we have come full circle. To access a podcast, users simply download a file, store it locally and play when ready. Typically, podcasts are available as a series and subscribers receive new installments automatically. Best of all, the price is right. Most podcasts are free!
Interested in tuning in? Here are a couple of our favourite podcasts. Isn't it ironic the Ted Radio Hour made the list?
Reply All - a podcast about the internet. Sounds nerdy, but heh, that's what we do!
Start Up School - Seth Godin - Thought leader Seth Godin challenges entrepreneurs to build and run their dream businesses.
Ted Radio Hour - an entertaining and thought provoking exploration of ideas, inventions and new ways of thinking about old problems.
Podcast content covers almost any topic imaginable from knitting to current affairs and everything in between. All you need to do is gather up the family and give a good listen.