AM I ALLOWED TO CURSE?

Nancy Allen: Am I allowed to curse on this podcast?
Co-host Frank Santopadre: We wholeheartedly encourage it.- From the Gilbert Gottfried Amazing, Colossal Podcast

The first podcast I ever listened to was a Gimlet production of its Crimetown pod featuring the crimes and misdemeanors of former Providence Mayor Vincent `Buddy’ Cianci.
The first podcast I saw in person featured Seattle US Congress member Pramila Jayapal. The event took place at Seattle’s Town Hall as part of the Blabbermouth podcast produced by Seattle’s weekly newspaper - The Stranger.
I started listening to podcasts - this was in late 2018 - and developed an affinity for interview programs. Some podcasts tell a story like Crimetown - which focuses on a different US city every season - or Serial, another popular podcast, but many adapt the interview format to some extent.
Soon deciding to write about podcasts I figured it was time to look up some boring facts and figures about podcasts.

Boring Facts and Figures About Podcasts

The roots of podcasting -  then called audioblogging - dates back to the 1980's. With the advent of broadband (faster) internet and digital audio playback - sound recorded and converted into digital form. Thus podcasting began to catch on in the early 21st century.
Today podcasts continue growing at an amazing rate. How many podcasts are there? The last official count had confirmed over 800,000 podcasts on Apple Podcasts as of Dec. 2019. In 2019, Google Podcasts product manager, Zach Reneau-Weeden told Discover Pods - a website featuring reviews, recommendations and resources for starting a podcast - there are around two million podcasts indexed by Google.
As early as 1993, Carl Malamud's Internet Talk Radio became one of the first web sites to provide audio with the host conducting interviews with `computer experts.' Christopher Lydon, a well-known newscaster for WGBH, Boston's PBS affiliate, is also recognized as one of the first podcasters. His blog, based out of the Harvard Berkman Center, began posting audio interviews with well-known radios, scientists and political figures.
Are people listening to podcasts? Apple also reported in June 2018 there were over a billion downloads from Apple Podcasts. Stitcher, Spotify and iTunes(along with Apple)  are among the internet services that provide on-line streaming of podcasts over computers and mobile applications such as Android, BlackBerry and iPhone. As of Dec. 2019, Google estimated their were over 8,000 podcasts in operation. Stitcher ranks the top 100 podcasts of the week and also the Top 100 in 14 categories - Comedy, Business and Industry, News and Politics, Society and Culture, Entertainment, Hobbies, Education, Lifestyle,Music,  Parenting, Sports, Science and Medicine, Technology, Religion and Podcasts from around the World.

The Worlds Of Podcasting...And Blogging

I haven't blogged regularly in several years, but I'm starting my third notebook on the wonderful world of podcasting. So here's a combination of an `old' medium and a new one. In days and weeks ahead, I'll be sharing my notes on some of my favorite podcasts, hopefully in an interesting and timely manner.

Thanks for reading.

Buddy Cianci perplexed about being part of a podcast.