KCRW TO PODCAST MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC SESSIONS

Damn, this is pretty big. “Morning Becomes Eclectic” now available as a podcast (subscribe: iTunes | RSS). I think that’s the “biggest” show I’ve seen NPR or its affiliates offer in podcast format. Great news for listeners and a ballsy move that suggests smart affiliate stations have confidence in the future of the medium. (Also: All KCRW podcasts)

KCRW Music Director and Morning Becomes Eclectic host, Nic Harcourt, says, “Since we began offering our non-music programs as podcasts, we’ve been inundated with requests to make music programming available. While the major labels are still figuring it out, the independent artists understand the value of this type of promotion, and I’m happy we’re launching Morning Becomes Eclectic podcasts with an L.A. group.”

Edit 2005-07-24 07:53:29: Hmm. It appears that these podcasts will be single, selected segments of the show, and, as with Le Show, I imagine they’ll be redacting the recorded music parts. Also, it doesn’t seem like they’ll be doing this daily, so I wonder if this is really a typical podcast so much as a free sample on a toothpick.

It would be a bummer if MBE only used the format to an nth of its potential by offering irregular, hobbled, or incomplete versions of this wonderful program. For the foreseeable future, podcasting media will succeed not on the medium's novelty, but on the fact that—as with, say, On the Media—it's simply re-packaging their whole, high-quality program in a convenient “to-go box.”

If a media outlet is uncomfortable releasing their whole product as a proper podcast, they'd do better to create a short but unique piece of programming exclusively for podcasting. Maybe a weekly wrap-up of highlights from the program?

Anyhow, it's still nice to get some of this swell show in an easy and portable format. Guess we’ll have to wait, listen, and see where they go with it.

Related 43F posts on NPR and podcasts:

• 43 Folders: Podcasts of non-commercial and public radio shows
• 43 Folders: NPR RSS feeds

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