Are Blogs Already Old-School?

I doubt that blogs are on their way out, but there's been a ton of buzz about a new kind of audio-blog called "podcasting." In simplest terms, a podcast is a radio show recorded by anyone with a computer and a microphone who then puts the podcast on the internet in MP3 form for download. The shows can then be transferred to an iPod and listened to at any time. The downloads are free of charge and feature shows about almost any subject imaginable. This Sunday's New York Times looks at the craze and makes quite a few comparisions to the blogosphere:

Podcasts are a little like reality television, a little like "Wayne's World," and are often likened to TiVo, which allows television watchers to download only the programs they want to watch and to skip advertising, for radio or blogs but spoken.

And as bloggers have influenced journalism, podcasters have the potential to transform radio. Already many radio stations, including National Public Radio and Air America, the liberal-oriented radio network, have put shows into a podcast format. And companies are seeing the possibilities for advertising; Heineken, for example, has produced a music podcast.

I tried listening to a couple of podcasts and to be frank, they were awful. Boring, tedious, and completely improvised, they had the feel of local television at its worst. Even so, the fact that NPR and Air America are looking at the format could signal a sea change for radio. I'd definitely take advantage of the capability to download radio shows like Imus in the Morning and Rush Limbaugh to my iPod and then listen to them at my convenience.

Readers of Portsider needn't worry, however. The blog is here to stay and I won't be switching to podcasting any time soon.