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Its interesting to see the growth of podcasting across the social and business world. In the UK Rajar figures this month show nearly 3 million regular podcast users - i.e people who use podcasts in a mobile environment. Its likely that the figure if you include all podcast use on PCs and MP3 players would be nearer six million since BBC research shows roughly 50% of users, largely older users, dont move the podcast content from the computer to a mobile or portable devise. That’s a lot of podcasts! Its also good to see people like Rabobank here in Dublin using podcasting to create public information ‘radio-like’ audio shows. And in the UK people like the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) are turning to audio and video podcasts to comunicate both with the public and their own members. One of the real benefits of podcasting is RSS - really simple syndication - the art of creating syndication of your own content, whether text, audio or video, and feeding that regularly to people who subscribe. You can subscribe to our channels 02 Making Waves and Vhi Health Club if you want to try it out. Vhi Health Club goes back online next Tuesday, Sept4th with a brand new series of consumer health shows. We’ve also got a podcasting directory on www.podcastingireland.ie with access to all Irish related podcasts, both audio and video, so its a great way to test drive podcasting and see how it works. There’s bound to be something there for you from surfing to rock music!
In the UK Ofcom’s annual report this month also shows some amazing figures on the growth of net use with the stronger audiences amongst older people who are using it for banking, shopping, travel and for online content. The old idea that the net is just for the young is debunked by the Ofcom figures which also show a female bias in net usage - again challenging the myth that women are not so inclined to use new technology. Its also interesting to see that European nations are now the top broadband nations with the highest use of online content overtaking South Korea with the Scandanavians leading and strong performances from UK and France. Interesting online case studies of making content work for business include the giant brands like Intel, IBM and CISCO - whose internal and external communications maximise the use of audio and video podcasting. IBM has a great idea called ‘learning on the fly’ which is an audio podcast series designed to spread the use of their market intelligence and which is aimed at people using it in their commute - particularly driving. Thats way audio can still be the killer application over video in online and mobile content as it allows users to do other things while listening. Its been one of the saving graces for radio in the new media age and its also way some of these big brands are opting to stay in audio podcasting rather than move to video. Video is great if you know your audience/users can watch - so good for computer use - but its a distraction, even a weakness, if your users are opting to take your information or content and combine it with a commute or a trip to the gym when they need their eyes and hands free and just want to have a ear piece doing all the work.

Its incredible that the fifth radio round is now open under the BCI’s Sound & Vision scheme. The fund takes a 5% slice of the TV licence fee and puts its into a central fund from which all broadcasters, in radio and TV, can benefit. As an independent radio and TV production with a strong digital and online life we’ve made good use of it and to date we’ve received three radio grants, two for Newstalk and one for RTE Lyric FM. We’ve also received a major TV production grant for a series on women athletes in Ireland. Ireland is unusual in creating such a fund which seeks to support public ethos programming both within RTE and commercial broadcasters. It has widened the scope for independent programme makers to find good homes for their ideas and content and it has ensured, already, that Irish audiences get a wider range of programming. Newstalk has developed radio documentaries strands with the support of the fund - while some local stations are using it to make drama, Irish language programming and good history content. It has also ensure that the once feeble radio production sector in Ireland is now thriving and growing with more and more people finding they can create work and a living from radio. The fund will be up for review next week and its impact in radio alone has to be one of the themes of that review - given the continued popularity of radio in Ireland. Although radio audiences are slightly declining here (85% of people listening every day still remains one of Europe’s highest) radio is a growth phase in Ireland with the prospect of new multi city radio for the over 45 and a choice of new youth orientated and regional stations in the pipeline. Having lots of radio choice on the dial is one thing - ensuring that good quality content is flowing into radio is another. Sound & Vision is doing its part - its up to programme makers and schedulers to do the rest.