podcasting on the rise

The runaway popularity of blogging, which has turned everyday people
into online news outlets, caught the media establishment off guard. The
industry is trying not to make the same mistake with podcasting --
which lets nearly anyone "broadcast" on the Internet.Everyone
from Disney to Newsweek to National Public Radio is now offering
podcasts, and Apple Computer, Inc. last month made it a whole lot
easier to find them and download them to iPods.

While profits
remain elusive, there's a bigger prize out there -- the company that
manages to become the go-to Web site for podcasts could gain enough
leverage to strike favorable deals with proven content providers, and
generate cash by charging for subscriptions and advertising.

[podcasting]