The Infinite Dial

As usual, the folks within the ESPN section of the Disney company are bringing a new technology that was once hard to use to the public. Following on the heels of the ESPN Mobile Phone is the ESPN's Podcenter.

ESPN Radio has moved into Podcasting in a big way. There are dozens and dozens of podcasts available on pretty much any sports topic. There is re-purposed audio from ESPNRadio and from television shows like "Pardon the Interruption." There is coverage of more obscure sports that don't get as much coverage on radio and television. There are daily Poker and Extreme Sports podcasts. There are some podcasts behind their "insider" wall with information for fantasy sports players.

For now, the Podcasts are advertiser supported with spots at the beginning and end of the casts. The postings are easily played over the computer or downloaded to the desktop or iTunes.

With ESPN's Podcenter one truly sees a new future for radio in full expression. One can listen to the live stream of ESPN radio programming at any time over their site or of course over any of their hundreds of mostly AM Radio affiliates. Or, one can take any of the best content from ESPN Radio and get it on-demand through the Podcenter, or one can also find "just for Pod" programming from this same content provider too. Under all circumstances, it is advertiser supported.

ESPN is showing yet again that it is not the platform that matters, it is the content and the brand. The analogies are clear for all audio content providers.