Podcasting: The new talk radio

    

Source: Adam Carolla Official Website

      During my commute to work or school I enjoy listening to podcasts or audiobooks rather than pumping bass heavy beats for an hour. I, like many college students, have a lot of things in life to balance. Finding time to read a book or a newspaper is difficult especially when you're always on the go. A modern day solution for this is to use digital audio distribution. The concept of an audio book is nothing new. Remember when books were released on cassette tape along with the book? Now audio books are marketed towards mobile device users which is pretty much everyone excluding your grandparents.

      Adam Carolla is a great example of someone who uses digital audio distribution to their advantage. Before he created his popular podcast he was a popular radio host for Loveline with Dr. Drew. After getting canned from show he decided to gather some of his radio friends together to produce a free daily podcast on iTunes. The format and quality was definitely different from his radio show. The Adam Carolla podcast ran from about an hour to two hours and consisted of Adam's rantings about pop culture or calls from the listeners. The show was no longer live, instead it was readily available to download and listen to when you, the listener, chose to. Think of it like a take out meal; you can eat your filet mignon right then and there or you could wrap it up in a doggy bag and pick at it on your way home.

      What's most impressive to me is how they've evolved the show in terms of production value and content over 2 years. Adam Carolla and his crew have revived the Adam Carolla Show and built a new broadcasting company from it. Check out the ACE network on iTunes  which features several podcasts that appeal to a wide variety of people from movie lovers to car enthusiasts. If you like what you hear Adam even has two audio books out with a ton of great content.

Here's me and Adam last year in Toronto

     

YouTube Spotlight: BOH3M3

   

     Over the next few months I will be covering some YouTube vloggers that stand out to me. My first spotlight will focus on one of my favourite vloggers from 2006. Boh3m3 (pronounced Bow-Heem) or Ben Going was one of the pioneers of modern YouTube vlogging. He used quick cut techniques in his videos way before it was an overused cliche. About 95% of his videos are in black and white which keeps the theme of his channel consistent. 

       His first video submission on YouTube was intended to be an audition for Jackass but was rejected. Afterwards Ben transformed his channel into a video log of his life. An intimate look into the mind of a man who wanted to be a professional Jackass. I've followed his channel for a couple of years up until his hiatus and every video post has drawn me into his personality and story no matter how amateur they appeared.

       My favourite videos were his Dear Table ___ posts. These were rantings about his experiences as a waiter and some of his most frustrating customers. A good example of how vlogging is an effective way to vent and share your experiences with like minded people. I would highly recommend taking a look at some of his videos even if they are 3 or 5 years old. It's truly amazing to see the state of YouTube at the time. The early years of the site really brought innovation to the blogging scene.

 

(Source: BOH3M3)

       Stay tuned to my blog for more YouTube highlights. Mahalo.