What’s Behind the Great Podcast Renaissance? →

The New York Mag:

But as I talked to podcasters, they told me that the biggest reason for the podcast renaissance has nothing to do with the podcasts themselves, or the advertisers funding them. It's actually about cars. The secret to radio's success has always been the drive-time commuter. An estimated 44 percent of all radio listening takes place in the car, and that's the way the radio industry likes it. Car-based listeners are captive, they tune in for long stretches at a time, and they're valuable to advertisers. And drivers' dedication to the AM/FM spectrum has made radio a remarkably stable medium — even in 2013, according to the Pew Research Center and Nielsen Audio, 91 percent of Americans over age 12 listened to the radio on a weekly basis. Now, though, cars are going online. Both Google and Apple have rolled out connected-car platforms Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, respectively, and most new cars sold in the U.S. these days come with the ability to play smartphone audio over the car's speakers, either through Bluetooth connectivity or through a USB or auxiliary plug. One industry group, GMSA, estimates that 50 percent of all cars sold in 2015 will be internet-connected, and 100 percent by 2025.

Love the podcast format. I can break 2-hour shows into smaller listening sessions and listen to them when I am out and about, everywhere. It has long replaced the traditional radio format for me.

Love the fact that producing a podcast is incredibly cheap nowadays. My favorite radio hosts are already podcasters.

Hopefully, I’ll start our old show or another one soon. :)