I am going to step forward to the plate on this one. Cheeky? Yes. But someone has to.
Much of what we're seeing, content wise, in podcasting reminds me of the documentaries I made about pirate radio in the 1980's. Only a few broadcasters on land-based pirates stood out because they made new, energetic programmes (Laser 558 made UK radio sound a lot smoother than from BBC Radio 1).
So now I am adding podcasting consultancy to the list of things I do. I am happy to help those podcasters who want to sound professional, with a proper critique on the style needed for a better, more engaging podcast. We could start by putting a limit on the length of the shows. 20 minutes is great, 40 minutes is super specialist....an hour means you don't respect the listener or you are hoping to reach people with nothing to do in their own lives.
In short, podcasting has already matured enough to need some shaping. For when the hype dies down, only the engaging will survive - and make money. And, I am pleased to say, I already have clients.
