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The companies cited in this article that are walking back podcasting efforts mostly repackaged existing content in audio form, and it was obvious. Or worse, the

The companies cited in this article that are walking back podcasting efforts mostly repackaged existing content in audio form, and it was obvious. Or worse, they had talking heads in a conversational format going on about the week's news topics. These two show formats are at best boring, but usually terrible. The ones that were podcasts first (or radio shows) like Gimlet Media, This American Life and its spinoffs continue to excel and provide the most engaging media experience.

ghaff 8y ago
In all fairness, I find there are plenty of interesting 2 or 3 person "talking head" podcasts if the people involved are engaging, it doesn't go on and on, and you're interested in the subject matter. That's not to say people will pay for it but it's a perfectly viable format so long as you're not expecting to make a living off it.
- notfromhere 8y ago
  Pod Save is doing a great job with this, but other ones like the Ezra Klein one are usually...tedious and you can tell when the host just loves the sound of their own voice.
  - ghaff 8y ago
    Like many other things--such as many conference presentations--a lot of podcasts would benefit from being trimmed from an hour or more to 20-30 minutes. If you listen to most professionally-produced hour-length segments on radio or podcast, even those are usually broken into multiple segments in some shape or form. An hour-long straight conversation is way too long IMO.
bachbach 8y ago
NPR is, there are mixed feelings. I think they take themselves and their ideas too seriously. For all the world NPR (Radiolab, Hidden Brain) are like one of those friendly Christian persons who assumes you're one of their co-religionists. "Join our band of Enlightened Citizens" said the exquisitely specific subspecies of American - it's not the worst thing in the world but it is uncomfortably "Aren't we all Brothers in Christ, Brother!". Ironic but they are parochial, their version of world events is a sort of intellectual McMansion. They are bits glued on, there's a few zero pitch roofs in there somewhere and nobody paying attention expects it to last. I don't have sympathy for the other team either but only one has enough gravitas to deliver those sermons. I don't hate either belief system but I do wish they'd take something out of Joe Rogan's book. Nobody watching or listening to him is under the impression Joe is delivering 100% serious gospel truths to us. Dan Carlin will often tell me of his beliefs, but I'm never made to feel it's anything other than his strongly held opinion which could be mistaken. The 'pro' media - even their conversations are really monologues. I'm not as allergic to Planet Money and I suspect that show is more popular than the others because it stays on point and is shorter - so the evangelism becomes more like Thought for the Day if it slips in.

ghaff 8y ago

In all fairness, I find there are plenty of interesting 2 or 3 person "talking head" podcasts if the people involved are engaging, it doesn't go on and on, and you're interested in the subject matter. That's not to say people will pay for it but it's a perfectly viable format so long as you're not expecting to make a living off it.

notfromhere 8y ago
Pod Save is doing a great job with this, but other ones like the Ezra Klein one are usually...tedious and you can tell when the host just loves the sound of their own voice.
- ghaff 8y ago
  Like many other things--such as many conference presentations--a lot of podcasts would benefit from being trimmed from an hour or more to 20-30 minutes. If you listen to most professionally-produced hour-length segments on radio or podcast, even those are usually broken into multiple segments in some shape or form. An hour-long straight conversation is way too long IMO.

bachbach 8y ago

NPR is, there are mixed feelings. I think they take themselves and their ideas too seriously. For all the world NPR (Radiolab, Hidden Brain) are like one of those friendly Christian persons who assumes you're one of their co-religionists. "Join our band of Enlightened Citizens" said the exquisitely specific subspecies of American - it's not the worst thing in the world but it is uncomfortably "Aren't we all Brothers in Christ, Brother!". Ironic but they are parochial, their version of world events is a sort of intellectual McMansion. They are bits glued on, there's a few zero pitch roofs in there somewhere and nobody paying attention expects it to last. I don't have sympathy for the other team either but only one has enough gravitas to deliver those sermons. I don't hate either belief system but I do wish they'd take something out of Joe Rogan's book. Nobody watching or listening to him is under the impression Joe is delivering 100% serious gospel truths to us. Dan Carlin will often tell me of his beliefs, but I'm never made to feel it's anything other than his strongly held opinion which could be mistaken. The 'pro' media - even their conversations are really monologues. I'm not as allergic to Planet Money and I suspect that show is more popular than the others because it stays on point and is shorter - so the evangelism becomes more like Thought for the Day if it slips in.