A directory for South African podcasters and listeners went live this month, hosted by Internet Solutions (IS).
A podcast s a feed of audio or video files placed on the Internet for anyone to subscribe to.
The IS Podfarm serves as a catalogue of a variety of local and international podcasts, says IS product specialist Jeff Fletcher.
"As the technology catches on, more and more people want to access specific podcasts, so we have anticipated the need for a single public repository," adds Hillel Shrock, new business development director at IS.
Podfarm links to 11 podcasts, from a 'Moneyweb power hour' to Rodger Goode on 5fm. The programmes vary in length, depending on their nature.
Fletcher believes the directory will help to unearth grassroots podcasters by giving them a promotional avenue.
"So far there have been no concentrated efforts to further the South African podcasting industry, in contrast to the enormous international growth of the phenomenon," he notes.
IS could not put a figure to the costs of sponsoring the site, but Fletcher explains that since it is not actually hosting every podcast, the server hosting costs are negligible.
Shrock adds that most programmes can be downloaded with an ordinary PC with the suitable software and soundcard - an iPod or MP3 player is not essential.
Podcasting, which arrived in SA in mid-2004, was named word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary in 2005.
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