What’s wrong with IAB’s Podcast Upfronts. (A statement, not a question)

Some people criticize the effectiveness of live reads of advertising in the podcast medium. So one wonders how podcasters are presenting themselves to advertisers. It's hard to know because the podcast upfront presentation being hosted by the International Association of Broadcasters (IAB) next month in New York is a new phenomenon, only in its second year, and IAB has not set up much of a mechanism for media to cover it.

While other events, such as July’s Podcast Movement event in Chicago, next month’s Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference near Philadelphia, and the upcoming DC Podfest in November, are dedicated to promotion of podcasts, which is fine, they do not have direct impact on where it may really count for podcasters – attracting advertising.

So it’s very disappointing, after asking IAB about provisions for media (and hopefully, having built a track record for those of you who do read this blog, as a concerned and credible venue for critical thought about the podcasting industry), to receive no specific response about how to attend, other than notice of how to sign up for a vague waitlist – without any differentiation about the purpose of the waitlist. That waitlist could possibly be for podcasters who are hoping to present to advertisers. There’s no way to tell from IAB’s materials.

Broadcasting – especially radio – could in some ways be seen as the enemy of podcasting, or at least a major competitor. So why are podcasters allowing IAB to mediate their relationship with advertisers? Especially when IAB is not well organized to promote its event, the way TV networks clearly do so professionally with their upfronts. It’s time for members of the podcasting industry to band together and organize their own upfronts, and do so the right way.

Podcasts of the Week

Mystery Show, episode 1 – about a video store that suddenly disappeared. This is a shorter length inquiry podcast reminiscent of “Thinking Sideways”, but more about personal phenomenon than stories that are known about somewhat in other forms.

Modern Love podcast from the New York Times -- (check out three episodes in which Jason Alexander, Sarah Paulson and Judd Apatow each read a non-fiction story about matters of the heart in one form or another).