The Podcast Asylum

Two categories of people are vulnerable to Locus Confusus: inexperienced computer users who don’t know what to do after they click the “subscribe” button on a podcast blog and the iPod-dependent who are used to having iTunes do everything for them automatically once they connect the player to the computer.

Locus Confusus is a serious condition because it prevents people from listening to or sharing podcasts because they don’t know where to find the podcast files on their computers.

Fortunately, it is not usually necessary to hire a private detective. This disease can be cured with a little information. A quick look at the “Preferences” or “Options” in your podcatcher’s menu will reveal the location of the downloaded files, allowing the anxious subscriber to listen at last.

101 Things to Do with Audio and Video (to Promote Your Business)
Penny Haynes, 2009
PDF e-book, 170 pages
US $19.99
Free Excerpt
Purchase

In the course of writing this book, Penny Haynes posed a LinkedIn question asking to talk to business owners who had never used audio or video to market themselves. I was hard put to think of anyone besides my mother. It’s not just that I know a lot of podcasters and vidcasters. I’ve spent my time in industries where people have used audio and video to market themselves for decades.

Back when I was teaching Greek and Roman drama, I made video recordings of all my productions. The first client whose book I helped write gave me audiocassettes with recordings of his class lectures to turn into book chapters. Nearly everyone I’ve worked for since has used some form of video or audio—including the old-fashioned “getting interviewed on radio and TV” format.

The only difference between that and what Penny talks about in this book is that most of the audio and video recordings used as “demo reels” or sold as products before 2004 weren’t digital, and they weren’t online.

The rapid growth in both the tools for creating digital media and the bandwidth for sharing it just mean there more ways to use audio and video for your business. More than 101 of them, in fact. Penny lists 103 and then provides some additional ideas in the Sample Projects section at the end of the book.

I defy anyone who reads it not to think of some way to use these tools for his or her business. And I’d be surprised if those of you already using audio and video don’t discover new applications. My favorite discovery was one Penny also mentioned in a recent interview with Anna Farmery: turning audio into video by adding slides to your audio recording.

I don’t know why I never thought of that. It’s probably because I’ve been too focused on extracting the audio from video files where the visuals add little or nothing, the better to listen to them on my MP3 player while driving. Now I just have to find time in my schedule to go back and do it with some of my presentations.

On the down side, 101 Things could have benefited from the services of a book designer, as there are some odd page breaks and layout issues. Those are only a minor distraction, as the repeated references to the Commercial Creation Center are a minor annoyance.

If you’re a podcaster or a podcasting/media consultant, buy this e-book for your clients—but read it yourself first to help you pitch them.

SRG

This condition most often afflicts those who have just purchased a DVD full of sound effects and can’t wait to use them all at once, whether they serve any useful purpose or not. The zings, bangs, crashes, trumpet fanfares, and rounds of applause every few seconds can obliterate the intelligibility—and certainly the listenability—of the podcast.

Podcastus Overproductus in its most severe form causes show hosts to compound the damage done by the sound clips with a fake DJ voice and a hokey script, resulting in a nightmare cross between a morning zoo radio show and a children’s television program.

One painful example of this syndrome can be found at BASF’s Chemical Reporter podcast. The idea is brilliant: explain the chemistry at work in daily life by answering questions like “Why does salt melt ice?” After only a few episodes, the listener becomes possessed by the desire to bash the podcast host over the head with a blunt object.

Podcasts produced by traditional media companies seem particularly vulnerable to this condition. Far from struggling to attract advertisers as many independent podcasters do, those who suffer from Advertissimus Maximus have ads to spare, so many that they insert one every few minutes.

Alas, this compulsion to advertise drives away the very listeners the show’s sponsors are paying to reach. When each episode is less than ten minutes long, inserting pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll spots causes hapless listeners to hit the “unsubscribe” button as quickly as possible.

Another form of this pernicious condition includes repeating the same advertisement several times during one episode. Recent studies suggest that the phenomenon is even more maddening in video than in audio, but anyone who has ever listened to Voice America might contest that claim.

For some reason, the presence of a microphone transforms normally interesting people into dull, dry lecturers who drone on endlessly with irrelevant, abstruse information rather than saying anything the listeners want to hear. The result is a podcast that no one can listen to for more than a few minutes without falling asleep.

If you are an interviewer and you suspect that your guest suffers from Podcastus Desiccatus, there are steps you can take to prevent this disaster. One option is to lubricate the guest with a generous supply of single malt whiskey or Belgian chocolate, thus rendering him or her relaxed and expansive. Another is to bring in a third person to help you create a conversation about the subject, rather than a lecture. (The best person to bring in might be someone who disagrees with your guest.)

You can also do some research and prepare questions that focus the interview on the most interesting material, or that provoke an unrehearsed response. But if you’re interviewing them in person, start with method one.

Thanks to Michele Holtz for suggesting this syndrome at a geek dinner this summer.

Freelance journalist Michelle Rafter interviewed ‘Professor’ Goetsch and Adjunct Professors Priscilla Rice and Michele Molitor for her May Inc Technology article, ‘Essential Steps to Starting a Business Podcast.’ The article appears in the ‘software’ section, probably because Inc Technology doesn’t have a ‘social media’ section. Yet, anyway.

While various people claimed in 2007 that podcasting (or at least the word ‘podcast’) was dead, the truth seems to be that podcasting is just now entering business consciousness for everyone except those who pursue every shiny new toy that comes along.

This show only appears for a couple of months before, during, and after each year’s Book Expo America, and it includes some of the presentations from the event, as well as a number of interviews with authors. I’m not that interested in most of the author interviews (many are with novelists I’ve never heard of), but the material about the publishing industry is gold.

The 2007 podcasts included several episodes on the intersection of new media and publishing, as well as panels on book reviews, US vs. UK publishing, and markets. If you’re a writer of any kind, you’ll want to tune in for these.

The next BEA is at the end of May, 2008, so the series should be starting up again soon. Meanwhile, you can catch up on the archives at http://bookexpocast.com/.

At first, this show was high on production values but suffered a terrible case of Podcastus Inhospitus. The production values have remained good, but Lisa Johnson, Cassie Pruett, and the Reach Group team have made the show more accessible, producing in MP3 format, with a blog for show notes and comments. The shows are very short, often less than 10 minutes long, grouped together in series on different subjects.

‘The Connected Generation’ itself is not so much an age range (though many episodes do talk about relating to Generation Y) as an attitude. Most podcasters, and many podcast listeners, belong to this group. You might want to recommend it to those who haven’t drunk the social media Kool-Aid.

Listen or subscribe at http://www.reachgroupconsulting.com/blog/.

The Forward Podcast is aimed at young PR professionals. So what is a forty-year-old podcasting professor doing listening to it? Well, some of it is the charm and humor of the hosts, Paull Young and Luke Armour, and some of it is the fact that many of the topics they cover are of interest to people in other fields, as well.

Production has been a bit irregular as of late (April 2008), but you can cruise the archives for tips on everything from writing to social media to inter-generational relations to finding a job.

Listen or subscribe at http://www.forward-moving.com/blog/category/podcast/.

I’ve come late to this weekly podcast by Christopher S. Penn and John Wall, of whom I’d heard long before I started listening. (Christopher does the Financial Aid Podcast and is one of the founders of PodCamp; John hosts The M Show every Monday.) The show has been picked up by MarketingProfs, an endorsement it well deserves.

If you want to know about e-mail marketing, SEO, the importance of your house list, and other tricks of the trade from people who make their living doing this kind of thing, you should definitely have a listen.

And the miracle of podcasting is such that you don’t have to get up at 6 AM to meet them in Dunkin Donuts.

Listen or subscribe at www.marketingovercoffee.com.

David Maister’s podcast is not the kind of listener-driven show I favor. If anyone comments on the podcasts, there’s no mention of it in the show. The style is polished and entirely suited to a presentation to a large group. Indeed, Maister’s ‘voice’ is the same in purpose-recorded podcasts as in clips from public appearances: genuine, but somehow more formal and less personal than most independent podcasters.

And none of that matters. This is a great podcast. For those who haven’t heard of him and his many books, David Maister is a Famous Consultant who has always believed in the value of giving things away. Right now the podcast is a special series of combined audio and PDF files containing excerpts from his latest book, Strategy and the Fat Smoker.

The premise of the book is that most of us (and our consulting clients) already need to know what we do for our businesses, the same way we already know what to do for our health. But we persist in our old habits anyway. I’m convinced this is the business book of the year. (Yes, even as much as I like Seth Godin.)

Run-don’t-walk on over to http://davidmaister.com/podcasts/ and subscribe.

There are occasions when a podcaster starts producing an episode, but something prevents the show from being posted. This can cause both the podcaster and his or her listeners serious emotional trauma.

There are many possible causes for Podcastus Interruptus. For instance, the proverbial Person from Porlock could knock at the door and destroy the idea for the episode—or just the mood of the podcaster. Recording software could crash in the middle of an interview, or the podcaster could forget to press the ‘record’ button.

In other instances of Podcastus Interruptus, the podcaster succeeds in making a recording, or even several recordings, but something delays the editing and/or posting of the episode. The culprit could be anything from illness to a sudden onset of billable work—or the need to complete one’s doctoral degree.

New podcasters may find themselves intimidated by the need to learn to use editing software, create a podcast feed, or register with iTunes. Those whose entire future as podcasters is put at risk by such difficulties should consult the Asylum immediately in order to avoid podcast stillbirth.

Host Paula Berenstein describes her lengthy interview podcast this way:

“The Writing Show provides information and inspiration for writers of all kinds. Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, screenplays, songs, games, manuals, ads, reports, reviews, or poetry, we’re here to entertain, help, and engage you.

Every week or so, we offer a new podcast designed to shed light on some aspect of writing, writers, publishing, and other topics of interest to people who write. We also post articles and other resources to help writers craft their works, get published, market their material, and just feel inspired.”

Recommended by Matthew Wayne Selznick (one of her interviewees).

Listen or subscribe at http://www.writingshow.com/.

Mur Lafferty got into podcasting early. She’s a fantasy gaming expert and co-author of Tricks of the Podcasting Masters in addition to several podcast novellas. She produces a monthly show called Geek Fu Action Grip.

I Should be Writing is “The podcast for wanna-be fiction writers, by a wanna-be fiction writer,” where Mur discusses “rejection, cover letters and getting the oomph to keep going.”

Mur’s fans are legion, but it was Matthew Wayne Selznick (also a writer) who recommended her for this list.

Listen or subscribe at http://isbw.murlafferty.com/.

Mignon Fogarty (a.k.a Grammar Girl) nominated Emily Bazelon of Slate’s Political Gabfest as a favorite female podcaster. Emily has two male co-hosts, John Dickerson and David Plotz, and each week the three of them discuss political gossip (and some actual news). They’re known for not being able to agree on a slogan for the show—or anything else.

Mignon says, “I always enjoy Emily Bazelon’s commentary. It’s not the same when she’s away.” And it’s true: the dynamics of the group change when it’s just the guys.

Listen or subscribe on the Slate website.

Monica Flores suggested Tanja Andrews’ video podcast Freshtopia for this list by saying “she’s hip, she’s beautiful, and she has a great attitude, she carries off the show with panache.” Between the time of her recommendation and the time of this posting, the show’s website has undergone a makeover, but its description of Tanja still reads:

“When not inventing new recipes, researching for the show, and longing for a pair of organic cotton jeans, Tanja moonlights as the host of Freshtopia.net. Not solely a wizard in the kitchen, Tanja is increasingly well versed on issues of sustainability, gardening, composting, and green products. She also serves as the show’s co-producer, co-writer, and walking thesaurus. She hopes to, by example, prove sustainable living is both sane and fun.”

Listen or subscribe at the  Freshtopia website.

It seems fitting that one of the podcasts on our list of women podcasters is called Just for Women. Alissa Kriteman’s show at Personal Life Media invites you to

“Open yourself to provocative, cutting edge, experimental ideas on loving yourself more, healing relationships, understanding men, attracting what you desire, the new art of seduction and the evolution of love that will radically shift the way you date and relate.”

Recommended by Sandy Shepard.

Listen or subscribe at Personal Life Media.

Elsie Escobar and Hillary Rubin are “Two urban yoga teachers who share how yoga is more than just stretching on the mat” in their Mudra Moments podcast. It’s an audio podcast, appearing approximately monthly, but there are also numerous videos on the website.

Recommended by Sandy Shepard.

Listen or suscribe on the Mudra Moments Blog.

Mignon Fogarty is one of podcasting’s great success stories, and it all started with Grammar Girl. Natural-born pedants like Professor Goetsch can only rejoice at the popularity of a show that

“provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help you recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules. Whether English is your first language or second language, Grammar Girl’s punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer.”

Recommended by Sandy Shepard and Jerry Franklin.

Listen or subcribe at Quick & Dirty Now.

Colette Vogele’s Rules for the Revolution podcast appears only sporadically, but if you want to know how not to fall afoul of the law when podcasting, you should listen. Colette is an intellectual property attorney and one of the authors of the Podcasting Legal Guide.

The podcast addresses such questions as Net Neutrality, Media Insurance, Rights of Publicity and Privacy, Trademarks, and finding music that you can use legally in your podcast.

Recommended by Matthew Wayne Selznick.

Listen or subscribe at rulesfortherevolution.com.

The Dawn and Drew Show describes itself as “a podcast from two ex gutter punks who fall in love, buy a retired farm in southeast Wisconsin and tell the world their dirty secrets… always profane, rarely profound.”

The show is famous and popular enough to require little introduction here, but it’s worth including Justin Simonsen’s tribute to Dawn Miceli:

“My all time favorite female podcaster is Dawn. She is an amazingly beautiful person. I know this by just listening to Dawn&Drew for years but after meeting her in person I have to say she may be the nicest person I’ve ever met. If you ever have a chance to spend time with Dawn and Drew outside the podcast environment I highly recommend it. They are genuinely good people.”

Listen or subscribe on PodShow.

Leesa Barnes, author of Podcasting for Profit, has actually produced several different podcast series. New Media Tycoon is the most recent, launched to accompany the book:

“Here on the NewMediaTycoon podcast, we explore how best you can leverage today’s fast growing world of new media and generate revenue streams in the process.”

You can find previous shows at Cubicle Divas and Podonomics. Most of these shows are recordings of teleseminars.

Leesa is recommended by fellow Canadian voiceover professional Peter O’Connell.

Listen or subscribe at http://www.newmediatycoon.com/.

Dr. Vivian Vasquez describes her Critical Literacy in Practice podcast this way:

“There’s a growing body of publications on critical literacy but in my mind none of these truly capture the nuances of real life the way that stories told face to face might. And because I can’t take you with me as I have these face to face conversations I figure this podcast is the next best thing. This really is one of the main reasons for this broadcast. That is to offer you opportunities to hear first hand about critical literacy in different spaces and places from folks who are exploring possibilities for framing their work from this perspective. And I hope that you will contribute your thinking, reflections and musings regarding critical literacy.”

Recommended by Dave Delaney (who is obviously thinking ahead for his kids).

Listen or subscribe at http://www.clippodcast.com/.

Though the title might suggest this was a show about breastfeeding, in actuality the “boobs” in question are new parents Dave and Heather Delaney. This podcast “follows their trials and tribulations as they discover parenting one step/blunder at a time,” and answers the question “How hard can it be to raise two kids 11.5 months apart?”

Recommended by Dave Delaney, who is gentlemanly  (biased?) enough to choose his wife as his favorite female podcaster.

Listen or subscribe at TwoBoobsandaBaby.com.

Betsy Flanagan’s interview podcast, StartupStudio, “inspires audiences by showcasing examples of people who once lived ordinary lives and went on to create something extraordinary from the businesses or organizations they created from scratch.”

The most recent show appears to have been released in October 2007, leading to suspicions of podfade, but the archives are definitely worth a listen.

Recommended by Chris Christensen.

Listen or subscribe at www.startupstudio.com.

C.C. Chapman has just recommended TheDivaCast, produced by Robin Maiden and hosted  by Amy, Carrie, Julie, Sharon, and Suzanne—six women working together to produce a podcast which has attracted big-brand sponsors. So what are they all about? Here’s what their website has to say:

“The Divas are five strong-willed accomplished women who intentionally set out to form a group of honest friends who support, encourage, and empower each other to reach higher, keep growing, and have fun. This life we all live can get overwhelming and true girlfriends help fill in the gap where husbands and family simply can’t. Come along and listen to the many relevant topics we explore. Get to know us and share in our journey ~ we welcome your input and feedback and encourage you to develop deeper friendships of your own to further enrich your life.

Join us, Diva Sistas and . . . Viva la Diva! ”

Listen or subscribe at TheDivaCast.com.

Leann Mabry’s Parsec Award-winning Tag in the Seam is “Reality told from a real woman’s point of view.” Her website explains this concept in more detail:

“The show began as a podcast for women, but quickly developed a rabid following among both sexes. Leann has continued to push the envelope, retaining female-focused sensibilities while adding artistic and deeply personal touches, turning T.i.t.S. (she swears the acronym is an accident…into one of the most exciting, volatile, progressive podcasts in production.”

In her Valentine’s Day 2008 post, Leann proposes to retire from podcasting. Will  rabid fans like Matthew Wayne Selznick let her?

Check out past episodes at http://www.tagintheseam.com/.

Natali del Conte has actually just left Podshow and TeXtra behind to host “Loaded” for C|Net TV, but TeXtra is the show that Michelangelo van Dam nominated as a favorite. Podshow describes the thrice-weekly video podcast this way:

“TeXtra is technology news with a lot eXtra! It is technology meets culture, analysis, and—we hope you’ll agree—humor! Host Natali Del Conte follows the what’s what, who’s who, and WHY of technology news that goes beyond the Silicon Valley. She is an established technology journalist, having written for PC Magazine, TechCrunch, MarketWatch, and more.”

Listen or subscribe on the TeXtra PodShow page.

One-time HR and Finance Director Anna Farmery says this of her twice-weekly interview podcast:

“This podcast is dedicated to helping you motivate, inspire, and engage people at work. Why? Well, we all want to boost those bottom-line profits. And I interview people from all areas of life, to give you insights that will help you achieve your full potential, and also help you develop the potential of others.”

Anna is a great interviewer who asks questions from the listener’s point of view and takes the opportunity to play skeptic. She’s also a gung-ho podcaster, with two other shows (Middle Age Shed and The Podcast Sisters) to her credit.

Recommended by Sarah Dwyer, Donna Papacosta, Paull Young, and Sallie Goetsch.

Listen or subscribe at www.theengagingbrand.com

This is the first encounter the Podcast Asylum has had with Yaktivate, which describes itself as “the first Commerce Model Podcasting Network.” Christine Hassler, Life Coach, Author, Twenty Something & Quarter Life Crisis Expert, hosts the Twenty Something Yak because “Twenty-Somethings have a lot to yak about…careers, money, relationships, getting hitched, getting promoted, getting what you want—the list goes on and on!”

Recommended by Andrea Zawerczuk.

Listen or subscribe at twentysomethingyak.com.

“This monthly series is for the 20-something woman who wishes she had a couple of big sisters to clue her in on the ins and outs of life after college. Join young authors Christine Hassler (20-Something, 20-Everything), Alexandra Levit (They Don’t Teach Corporate in College), and Lindsey Pollak (Getting From College to Career) as they dish about everything from careers and relationships to celebrities and news of the day. Hindsight is 20/20. Looking back on their 20s, these three accomplished early 30-somethings share how what they’ve learned from their own experiences can make life even sweeter for the next generation of 20-somethings.”

Recommended by Andrea Zawerczuk.

Listen or subscribe on BlogTalkRadio.

Priscilla Rice built her beautiful recording studio in the Berkeley hills decades ago. Built it herself, I mean: she used to run a construction business. People still drive up from Los Angeles to work with her sound engineer. She started producing Priscilla’s Podcast in December 2005.

The show features interviews with a wide variety of performers and other interesting people Priscilla knows: singers, musicians, audio book producers, vocal artists, artistic directors, authors, and members of the Berkeley community.

Recommended by Michele Molitor. Disclosure: Michele and Priscilla work with ‘Professor’ Goetsch as small-business podcast consultants.

Listen or subscribe at http://priscilla.libsyn.com/.

Indian podcaster Kamla Bhatt has been producing her audio podcast, The Kamla Bhatt Show, since March 2006. The Kamla Bhatt show focuses on “connecting the Indian diaspora across the world,” while Podtech describes her video podcast, Indiatech, as “frontline reporting on the ideas and people shaping India’s booming tech business.”

Recommended by Vikram Deo.

Watch or subscribe to Indiatech on Podtech.

Like Jumping Monkeys, Amber MacArthur’s Net @ Nite is part of the TWiT (This Week in Tech) network, which means it’s technically a ‘netcast,’ since TWiT founder Leo Laporte has banned the word podcast from his vocabulary. TWiT describes the show this way:

“What’s happening on the ’net right now? Amber MacArthur spends every waking moment combing the net for cool sites, viral videos, and funny and moving moments online. Only a fraction of the stuff she finds makes it to her TV shows on Citytv —the rest she shares right here with us.”

Recommended by Chris Christensen and Dave Delaney.

Listen or subscribe at http://www.twit.tv/natn.

The Chola referred to in the title of this podcast never reveals her name (any more than the Ninja in Ask a Ninja does), but she says this about herself:

“I am Ask A Chola. You can call me ‘Chola’. I am a new media artist/chola/anarchist/cultural critic who resides in LA. I make videos that some people think are funny. Sometimes I am in magazines and on TV. I spend a lot of time on MySpace. I am interested in historical revisionism. I believe that the Chola has systematically been written out of Western history and I’m determined to write her back in.”

Mike Deem, who chose her as his favorite female podcaster, describes Ask a Chola as “way smart and funny” and particularly recommends the shows about Best Buy and the writers’ strike.

Watch or subscribe at http://www.askachola.com/.

Lisa Orrell’s podcast, Marketing Matters with M7, claims to be “THE Podcast Show for Corporate Marketing Professionals.” As the show’s description says:

“Lisa strives to have every episode of her podcast show packed with information that will help marketing execs at ANY level do their job better. And each interview she does is with a leader in their field, so you’ll only hear marketing insights that matter!”

Sherry Prescott-Willis, who recommends, the show, says this about Lisa Orrell:

“So far, she’s my favorite podcasting female guru out there. She’s funny, knowledgeable, and continues to have excellent speakers on her program.”

Listen or subscribe at http://www.marketingmatterswithm7.podomatic.com/.

Professional trade-show presenter and Podcasting Princess Heidi Miller describes her twice-monthly podcast as “Zen marketing for all self-promoters, from the timid to the fearless.” Many of the shows feature interviews; in others, Heidi helps listeners evaluate their two-second statements (really, really short elevator speeches), explains her podcasting rig at Studio 2E in Chicago (where she records wearing a tiara), and provides tips for giving better presentations.

Recommended by ‘Professors’ Lee Hopkins, Sallie Goetsch, and Donna Papacosta, as well as Spinfluencer Eric Schwartzman.

Listen or subscribe at http://heidimiller.libsyn.com; detailed show notes on Heidi’s Blog.

‘Professor’ Sallie Goetsch (rhymes with ‘sketch’) plans to award a certificate for free consulting on the subject of who is and is not a podcaster to the people who nominated her as a  favourite podcaster for her irregular contributions to For Immediate Release on the subject of podcasting, writing, and news in new media.

So who is it that believes ‘Podcasting without Podcasting’ is still podcasting? Jonathan Hoel, Donna Papacosta, and Eric Schwartzman. In his defense, Jon argues:

“I know you don’t define yourself as a podcaster, but the interview with you is still my top-rated PRJ episode, and with all your contributions to FIR, it’s really just a matter of semantics!”

Listen or subscribe at http://www.podcastasylum.com/reports/. But it will make much more sense if you just listen to FIR.

To quote the show’s description on the BusinessWeek website:

“‘The Welch Way’ features Jack & Suzy Welch’s answers to readers’ questions about business, managing, and careers. Drawing on Jack’s experience as the legendary former CEO of General Electric and Suzy’s background as the former editor-in-chief of the Harvard Business Review, the pair debate and discuss the issues addressed in their highly popular BusinessWeek column.”

Recommended by Jonathan Hoel.

Listen or subscribe on the BusinessWeek Podcast page.

Karmyn Tyler explains the genesis of her music podcast this way:

“Well, a few years ago, my manager, and mother, was trying to promote my cover tune album and put music on the Podsafe Music Network! We realized quickly that cover tunes were not ‘Podsafe!’ So, I started writing songs and eventually started my own podcast!”

Recommended by Chillcast fan Daniel Johnson, Jr.

Listen or subscribe at http://www.karmynkast.net/.

Anji Bee’s Chillcast (“a smooth, sophisticated mix of podsafe chillout music, hosted by ‘the sexiest voice in podcasting’”) gets rave reviews from listeners.

Daniel Johnson, Jr. says, “Anji could read the phone book and I’d probably listen to it. She plays great chillout and electronica music, and I love listening to it at work.”

Justin Simonsen confesses: “To be honest I didn’t listen to her music show until after I watched 10 of her video shows and got to know her as a person. Now I’m a faithful subscriber to the Chillcast. Amazing woman. I can’t wait to meet her in person.”

Listen or subscribe at http://anjibee.com/anji-bees-podcasts/.

Daniel Johnson, Jr. recommends The Catfish Show “because Cat (Cathy Bobkowicz) makes herself very vulnerable. There is no pretense; it’s all genuine. Her husband Bob produces and is somewhat of a co-host, but the content is all hers.”

The show’s website describes it as “A more than once a month short talk about Cat and her life around her. A Canadian perspective from a Stay at Home Mom and her husband, discussing just about anything.”

Listen or subscribe at http://catfishshow.com/.

 Christopher Richards recommends The News Quiz, a BBC Radio 4 podcast where “Sandi Toksvig tests her guests’ insight into the funny side of this week’s important news stories.”

(Interesting how the repurposed radio shows on this list are either from the BBC or the CBC, though one US print publication does make the grade.)

Listen or subscribe on the BBC Radio 4 website.

While the Podcast Brothers focus on podcasting (and specifically on making money from your podcast), Podcast Sisters Krishna De, Anna Farmery, and Heather Gorringe set out to explain all of Web 2.0 to “the non-geek.” This is a perfect show for the novice who wants to find out about Twitter, Facebook, social bookmarking, widgets, blogging, podcast interviews, and teleseminars, and all the rest of those hip, hot, social media tools.

Recommended by Robin Matuk. Endorsed by ‘Professor’ Goetsch. And with a special tribute to her sisters from Anna Farmery.

Listen or subscribe at http://www.thepodcastsisters.com.

Anna Farmery picked her mate and countrywoman Heather Gorringe and the Wiggly Wigglers podcast as a favorite. Wiggly Wigglers is a mail-order gardening company in Herefordshire, England, named for its worm composting kits. Heather is one of the funniest, most convivial—and shortest—podcasters the Asylum has been blessed with encountering. The show itself keeps winning awards, and now Heather is exploring ways other farmers can use Web 2.0 to connect to the people who eat the food they grow.

Jerry Franklin and Sallie Goetsch are also regular listeners.

Listen or subscribe at http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/podcasts/.

Cali Lewis of GeekBrief TV was actually one of the choices for “hottest women in podcasting.” Chris Christensen, Paolo Tosolini, and Michaelangelo van Dam, who listed the show as a favourite, didn’t mention whether that factored into their choice of Cali and her “Shiny happy tech news” video podcast. They are all men, but they’re also well-briefed geeks.

This 3-to-5-minute show about “technology, consumer electronics, and Web 2.0 projects” appears 4-5 times each week and gets millions of downloads each month.

Watch or subscribe at http://www.geekbrief.tv.

Canadians Dave Delaney and Dave Fleet recommend Nora Young’s Spark podcast from the CBC (that’s the Canadian Broadcast Corporation to the uninitiated). The show’s website describes it this way:

“Spark is a weekly audio blog of smart and unexpected trendwatching. It’s not just technology for gearheads, it’s about the way technology affects our lives, and the world around us.”

Listen or subscribe at http://www.cbc.ca/spark/.

Radio personality Kim Serafin now has a video podcast on WireImage that provides “Your inside access to the world of film premieres, music, parties, award shows, and everything entertainment.”

Recommended by Eric Schwartzman, who is also based in the entertainment capital of the world.

Watch it at www.wireimage.com.

With series like “The New Key Players” and “The $5.99 Question”, and “Marketing to Women 2.0,” Lisa Johnson of Reach Group Consulting tackles marketing to the perpetually plugged-in of all ages. To quote from the show’s intro:

“The connected generation is behind the hottest headlines; they are doing the biggest business deals; and they are creating the most talked-about cultural phenomena on the planet. We’ll give you the insights, stories, and actionable tips that will help you reach the most savvy, hard-to-reach consumer group in history.”

Though it initially suffered from Podcastus Inhospitus, the show has made great strides in accessibility, and is now on the must-listen lists of Sallie Goetsch and Anna Farmery.

Listen or subscribe at http://www.reachgroupconsulting.com/blog/.