With the 4.9 release of iTunes, support for podcasting was introduced. Now, I have to admit, I’m behind on all this new-fangled iPod stuff, so I wasn’t really sure what was involved in it at all. All I knew was from what I read, that it uses RSS feeds to organize and publish audio files. I didn’t realize how cool of a concept it was until I downloaded my first podcast and listened to it on the way to work. The first choice, of course, was from the Acts of Volition web site, since I’ve heard a lot of great things about the show on the Internet and read that it was actually available through the iTunes Store – and therefore was easy to get right into iTunes (which should be read “I didn’t have to think that much”).

Here’s what I can tell you. Now that I have my Transpod FM and can listen to the iPod in the car without completely cutting out the world around me, I may just stick to podcasts from now on.

There’s something really nice about listening to someone talk about and play music that they are really passionate about, without all of the corporate bull getting in the way (you know, the 20 minute commercial breaks, etc). I was really entertained by Session #21 – A Musical Baton. Great music, by a guy that just loves music and wants to talk about it and give others the opportunity to listen to it and appreciate it with him.

This is really what radio should be. When I was a kid (and much into my adult life) I wanted to do that as a career. Now I’m tired of radio, of 15-20 minute blocks of advertising, and especially the FCC, who treat the American public like a bunch of idiots who can be turned into raving maniacs if they see a cartoon ass on the television.

The iPod and technologies like it, combined with publishing possibilities on the Internet, have the potential to completely change the way we view radio, allowing people to create and share things they are passionate about rather than what will get ratings from the currently popular majority.

I think I’m hooked and apparently so are a lot of other people, as 1 million podcast subscriptions happened through iTunes in the first two days after the release.

This new fangled technology stuff is really cool …