Monday, December 21, 2015

The tribe has spoken, and so have the viewers, for about six hours

I decided to listen to three podcasts about Survivor, specifically the most recent fourth episode.  To answer the question “how is this podcast different than traditional radio broadcasting?” the easiest answer is that there would never be a two hour in-depth analysis on a single episode broadcasted on a major radio station.  There is a relatively high population of Survivor-watchers, several million people watch every week, however the number of “superfans” (as opposed to “casuals”) is much lower.  These podcasts have very specific topics, and those topics discussed in this case are the show itself, contestants, the latest episode, strategy and predictions for the seasons, as well as the host's and guests' reactions and opinions to the episode/ season.  Despite the obvious content and length-based differences, there are some similarities.  For example, podcasts are audio media.  There is a host of the show and guests are invited and they talk about stuff.  The ads in podcasts are not the same as radio shows, but there are sponsors who fund/ support the podcasts so the hosts of the podcasts just mention 

What struck me the most from all of this was how strong the community of these podcasts are.  People are loyal enough not only to watch the show, but to spend literally hours each week listening to experts discuss and analyze the episode and the strategy behind the players’ moves.  The listeners can call in with their questions, leave comments, and The podcasts had callers from across the country, as well as listeners and contributors from other countries around the world.  I think it’s pretty great to know that people from anywhere who share this planet can share their passion and have build this community based on a TV show.  









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