Is it just me, or do most podcasts sound like low production versions of Wayne's World? I listen to a few podcasts regularly, and even the higher quality programs still seem little more than meandering conversations on nothing. Of course, there are exceptions, such as Run as Radio, produced in a talk show format with interesting, targeted, well presented information, but most podcasts come across more like TWiT, forty minutes of mind numbing chatter among indistinguishable voices. In fact, it was while listening to the latest TWiT I realized podcasts are more like radio than anything else, and when non-radio folk produce radio content it's not always great, and when amateur folk eschew all production value it's even less so. Which leaves a vast and growing repository of podcasts which could be better, and more entertaining, simply by accepting their own shortcomings.

I love radio. I have an amateur license, KD7KLD, I collect and restore old radios, although not nearly as much as I used to, and I have a large and growing collection of old radio programs. The old radio programs make wonderful listening; most are engaging, holding my attention even if I am doing other things while listening, and some are downright irresistible. Broadcasts of The Mercury Theater are classics for a reason, and when you hear them you know the captivating power of audio. In fact, there are few who aren't familiar with The Mercury Theater production of The War of the Worlds and it's resulting chaos. Of course that level of reaction is atypical, but does not invalidate radio's ability to engage an audience.

I attribute most of the quality and interest of old radio programs to selective choice of recording. I seek out programs I know are good and interesting, which skews the statistics a bit perhaps. But I seek podcasts the same way, and I have found too few as engaging as most of the radio programs in my collection. Podcasts generally don't live up to the same production values, and I mean all production values. Sure, technically, podcasting is far ahead of any old radio production, and certainly on a par with modern radio production, but that's a wash since most aren't as listenable as good contemporary radio shows.

What it seems most podcasts lack, at least to my lay ear, is everything else. Sure, the technology is there, but I'm not so sure every podcast is read from a script. I am sure most radio is. I'm not sure every podcast hires talent. I'm sure most radio does. The things radio does is because of the shear expense of the thing. It costs alot of money to produce a show for broadcast, and that money demands the right people for the right job. Podcasts, on the other hand, can be produced on relatively little. A computer, some recording software, a place to put your podcast and you're in business. It's the empowerment of technology, and it does open the door to a great number of folks. And, while the hobbyist is always accommodated, professional, industrial, commercial, or any audience seeking podcasts should strive to sound better than 1970's FM radio. I don't want to be lectured, I don't want to eavesdrop, I don't want to be bored, and I especially don't want to hear how much you want me to help pay for your podcast and bandwidth, even if you have great information.

There are plenty of examples of what is not good listening, for whatever reason, be it poorly written scripts, poorly spoken words, uninteresting content, lousy story, and so forth. There are fewer examples of what is good listening. But podcasting is still young, and like very early radio shows, it can, and will get better. When podcast creators realize technology does not empower them beyond their creative limitations, and when broadcasting professionals of all crafts move more solidly toward podcasting, we'll hear a marked improvement in both quality and variety of podcasts available. We'll also see an associated increase in cost, but for those willing to pay it, it will be money well spent.