Category: 1. In the Beginning…

The story of how podcasting came to be is like many other creation myths: there are many versions, many storytellers and many arguments over who did what first.

For the most part, however, the main characters and the technological tools that united to produce podcasting are undisputed.

Podcasting was invented when Dave Winer, the father of Real Simple Syndication (RSS), and Adam Curry, an internet entrepreneur and broadcaster, combined their technical faculties and creative abilities.

Tod Maffin, a Canadian technology expert, shares podcasting’s creation myth:

Winer and Curry were also the world’s first “podcasters”: people who produce podcasts.  Their shows Morning Coffee Notes and The Daily Source Code, respectively, were the inspiration for the every podcast that is available today.

⇒  NEXT: “In the Beginning”  →  Memories

Although podcasting was invented south of the 49th parallel, many Canadian podcasting pioneers still remember the moment they learned about podcasting.

Tod Maffin

• CBC Radio Broadcaster and National Technology Expert
• Founder of the late FourSevens Podcast Network
• Creator of the CanadaPodcasts.ca directory
• Host of the How To Do Stuff Podcast, CBC.ca/nerd, Todbits
  
• Social Media Strategist, Technology Futurist and International Speaker
• 
  

Bob Goyetche

• Founder of the ROGIC Podcast Network
• C0-Host of The Bob and AJ Show, The CatFish Show and The Canadian Podcast Buffet
• Producer and host of Mostly Tunes
• Co-creator of Podcasters Across Boarders
• Managing Director of the CanadaPodcasts.ca directory

⇒  NEXT: “In the Beginning”  →  Early Expectations

The earliest known citation of the word “podcasting” comes from THE HERALD, Glasgow’s leading broadsheet daily newspaper.  On January 8, 2004, their column “The Last Word” read as follows:

THE LAST WORD

8 January 2004

The Herald

© 2004, Newsquest Media Group

PODCASTING Also known as DIY radio.

The idea is that anyone with a computer can record their own show and upload it on to the internet; listeners can then download it on to their MP3 players and enjoy it at leisure.

Great: broadcasting democracy at last. But you know what it means in reality is spotty teenagers playing six hours of crunk and grime, and middle-aged men uploading their entire collection of Amazulu 12″ extended remixes. Bet you can’t wait for that.

Although it was the first reference, THE HERALD’s early description does not accurately represent podcasting as we understand it today.

The essential element that distinguishes podcasting from web-based radio is its link to Real Simple Syndication (RSS).   Podcast listeners subscribe to their favorite podcasts through an RSS feed.  Thus, whenever a new episode appears online, the listener is immediately alerted and the new podcast is automatically downloaded onto their computer.

In February 2004, Ben Hammersley speculated about the “Audible Revolution” of online audio in THE GUARDIAN newspaper.

⇒  NEXT: “IN THE BEGINNING”  →  Media Groundswell

In the fall of 2004, mere months after Adam Curry and Dave Winer demonstrated podcasting was possible, media outlets and internet experts began lauding the potential of this new medium.

• Oct 1, 2004: Tod Maffin‘s article “How Podcasting Will Save Radio; Songs in search of an audience will find one with subscription radio,” appeared in Broadcaster Magazine.
• Oct 12, 2004: David Coursey’s article “‘Podcasting’: Is It Just Noise? Opinion: Is “Podcasting” just another outlet for egomaniacal bloggers? David Coursey offers some interesting uses,” in eWeek Magazine.
• Oct 24, 2004: Garry Barker’s article “iPods tap word of mouth,” appeared in Australia’s THE AGE Magazine.
• Oct 19, 2004: Steve Pain’s article “E-business: Boom in internet audio material,” appeared in THE BIRMINGHAM POST.
• Oct 25, 2004: Heather Green’s article “A Deejay You Can Download,” appeared in BUSINESS WEEK Magazine.
• Oct 26, 2004: Susan Carpenter’s article “Podcasts introduce brave new radio world,” appeared in Fort Wayne’s JOURNAL GAZETTE.
• Oct 28, 2004: Cyrus Farivar’s article “New Food for IPods: Audio by Subscription,” appeared in THE NEW YORK TIMES.
• Oct 28, 2004: Susan Carpenter’s article “Podcasts: blog-style cyber radio; Sound files are pre-recorded Every imaginable topic covered,” appeared in THE TORONTO STAR.

But not every author was a fan of podcasting from the get-go.  PC Magazine‘s reporter John C. Dvorak was highly critical of the new medium.  In his article “Podcasting: Not Ready for Prime Time; Take it away from the Mac community, please,” Dvorak discussed many of the early hurdles that hindered the mediums usability.

⇒  NEXT: “Adam Curry and ‘The PodFather’ Phenomenon”

Although a number of creative minds contributed to the development of podcasting, Adam Curry received a lot of early media attention and credit for creating the medium.

Curry was a well-known personality in American technology and entertainment circles thanks to his position on MTV as a VJ from 1987 to 1994.

When podcasting became a buzzword, mainstream media quickly nicknamed Curry “The PodFather.”  Soon Curry was getting international attention for being the man who invented podcasting.

This misrepresentation fueled a minor maelstrom online: when Curry edited the Wikipedia entry on “Podcasting” online innovators began arguing over the TRUE origns of the idea and who did what first.  Eventually Curry conceded his error and apologized for editing the Wikipedia website.

The current Wikipedia entry on the “History of Podcasting” credits many different people and lists a number of events which contributed to the creation of podcasting.

Adam Curry is still widely known as “The PodFather” and is considered an expert in the field of podcasting.

In January, 2008, a British video podcast production company called Pod3 TV sat down with Adam Curry to discuss his role in the history of Podcasting.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g51FvcibYG8[/youtube]

• Originally posted as “Adam Curry: The Podfather” on the www.Pod3.tv website

⇒  NEXT: “In the Beginning”  → Online videos detailing the invention and innovation of podcasting

One of the better online videos detailing the technical creation and evolution of podcasting was produced by Giovanni Gallucci.

Gallucci is a thought leader in social media and online buzz marketing.  The videos were produced and distributed by Tubemogul.

***Please note: The opinions expressed in the following videos belong to Mr. Gallucci.  The veracity of their content and the opinions express do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The History of Podcasting in Canada.***

Part 1:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipKQv7ClWxA&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.learnfreeinternetmarketing.com%2Fsecrets-of-podcasting-history-part-1%2F&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Part 2:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiqmi_nMlFs&feature=related[/youtube]

Part 3:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNwRYR0nrMs&feature=related[/youtube]

⇒  NEXT: “1.  Live from The Formosa Tea House” →  Canada’s First Podcast