An open letter to the marketing department of HD 98.3
I just wanted to write to express my appreciation for bringing top 40 radio back to Augusta but also to address something that has bothered me since you launched the station...
Your claims that "HD98.3 'podcasts' 18, 19, 20 or more in a row" are simply untrue. Your choice to use the term "podcasting" incorrectly in your marketing leads me to believe that either you don't understand that radio is 'broadcast' (a word from which podcast derives its name) or you are trying to cash in on the popularity of the word along with adding to the public's general lack of understanding as to the word's proper use ('podcast' was New Oxford American Dictionary's 2005 word of the year).
From Wikipedia the free online encyclopedia... " Podcasting is the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or music videos, over the Internet" and "is distinguished by its ability to be downloaded automatically using software capable of reading RSS or Atom feeds." (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast)
By the simplest of definitions your radio broadcast -- despite it's format or even the fact that you are broadcasting in HD -- does not qualify as a podcast. You might as well be claiming that you are "blogging 18, 19, 20 or more in a row"... Heck, why not give it a shot? I hear blogs are pretty popular with your target demographic.
Respectfully (though snarkily) submitted.
Wes Childers
Comments
I thought I was the only one that it bothered. Apparently, and fortunately, I am not alone. Everytime I hear them mention the word "podcasting" on air, I ask out loud, "Oh, can I download all of these songs for free online? I think not..."
They're simply trying to take advantage of a buzz word and trying to make it seem like it's a radio thing and not an internet. I only hope that the crowd that might listen to their station is intelligent enough to realize how stupid the radio station is... But then, maybe I am hoping for too much.
Posted by: Chris Harrison | July 20, 2006 9:57 PM
I just noticed something with HD98.3... they finally started broadcasting song info to radios that support that feature. Augusta radio just entered the 21st Century! WooHoo!
Posted by: Chris Harrison | July 23, 2006 3:08 PM
Way to protect the language! There are already enough illiterate imbiciles out there without the radio misdirecting the pop lemmings.
Posted by: Lynn Corbaley | July 23, 2006 8:08 PM