The Boston Phoenix (via Susan Crawford): "Podcasting...could evolve into the most serious challenge to commercial radio since television. Radio’s descent into bottom-line-oriented irrelevance, sped by the 1996 repeal of any meaningful controls on corporate ownership, has been well-documented. Other than public radio, which is thriving, the best-known alternative to the commercial AM and FM bands is satellite radio, which got a big boost in visibility in 2004 thanks to former NPR host Bob Edwards’s move to the XM network and Howard Stern’s $500 million deal with Sirius. But satellite requires a new radio receiver and costs around $10 a month. Podcasting, by contrast, is free...."

At the ellipsis, I excised the words "could be a passing fad — or it" because I didn't think "passing fad" was a realistic alternative. In my mind, it was sort of like saying that the Internet or RSS "could be a passing fad." For example, even in my own amateur way, I think I've added something valuable to radio. Today's podcast played all of the songs nominated for Grammy awards in Grammy Category 40 ("Best Country Instrumental Performance: solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals"). These songs are never played on commercial radio, but they deserve to be. They are terrific. In preparing for today's podcast I realized just how much I've been missing in commercial radio.

So c'mon, Susan, join in. I can't wait to hear the SCrawford podcast! What will you play?

Do you know what a "breakdown" is?  Listen in at www.internet.pro.