Podcasting is not about iPods and broadcasting: it means a system of publishing mainly audio files on the internet so that users can subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically (see WikiPedia.com). For example, a series of lectures could be podcast as they were recorded: students subscribing to the feed would receive the lectures on their computers as the lectures became available. They could listen to them on the computer or have them automatically transferred to their MP3 player for playing later. Yet another reason for providing students with access to more server space, since a typical one-hour lecture might take up 25MB of storage space.
The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, that is) has been enthusiastically podcasting since May, and now provides listeners with access to a range of audio news programs including AM, PM, The World Today and Correspondents Report; many Radio National programs like the Science Show, Background Briefing and Phillip Adams’ Late Night Live; and highlights from TripleJ, dig, and Sunday Profile.
There is a good help file on the ABC’s Radio National site that explains the whole process at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/help.htm
See the following links for more information:
- ABC News: http://www.abc.net.au/news/services/
- Radio National: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/
- TripleJ http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/listen/podcast.htm
- Dig: http://www.abc.net.au/dig/podcast
- Sunday Profile: http://www.abc.net.au/sundayprofile
Two radio programs from Broadcast Journalism are podcasting from feed://www.ce.canberra.edu.au/tsu/rss/nowUCradio.xml (paste the url into iTunes, available free for Windows or Macintosh at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/, Advanced>>Subscribe to podcast…). Anyone with editing access to a webserver can set up podcasts easily with a few simple tools: contact the cehelpdesk for further information.
