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The information super highway, or Internet, as it?s commonly referred to has changed our lives in a variety of different ways. An industry that stands out as possibly being most affected is the entertainment industry. Production and delivery methods are becoming cheaper and easier, while attention spans are becoming shorter and previous power brokers becoming less powerful. Comedy in particular is seeming to grow in popularity with the expanding online entertainment culture. Blogs, videos, tweets and podcasts are created by people solely for the purpose of laughter. In the 1980s stand up comedy clubs were popping up on every corner, now in the 2010s it is the comedy podcast that is dominating the entertainment landscape. Through low cost production, compelling content and easy dissemination the comedy podcast is carving out a real niche in the attention span of the average Internet user.
A radio station, radio tower and FCC license can cost you millions of dollars in initial fees and operation costs. However a solid podcast studio can be pieced together for under $1000. Additionally with the scope of the Internet your potential audience far extends past the traditional AM & FM airwaves and is practically infinite. All that is needed to record a high quality audio podcast is a few mics, a mixer, and a recording device usually a PC or MAC. This low production cost has helped spring up a number of niche podcasts. The comedy podcast in particular has grown in popularity simply because the bare bones formula of microphone + comedian = comedy podcast. People with specific interests or hobbies can create a radio like broadcast for a very specific audience without generating a huge overhead. The idea of a radio station dedicated to gardening sounds ridiculous, but a podcast created for that specific purpose is pragmatic and ideal.
Stand up comedians have been taking to the comedy podcast format like a fish takes to open water. In the traditional stand up comedy club, a comedian goes in front of a crowd and delivers jokes and stories. In the digital era, comedians can perform live, but also have been creating a digital comedy club through the use of the comedy podcast. Hosts have been combining elements of traditional talk radio and stand up to create a new format that seems to be growing in popularity. One of the comics who has been a pioneer in the comedy podcast frontier is Adam Carolla. His podcast The Adam Carolla show recently set a Guiness World Record for the most downloaded podcast. Ricky Gervais, the previous record owner, was also the host of another comedy podcast. Every stand up comedian seems to have either been a guest on a podcast, or hosted one at some point in time.
A number of factors have led to the rapid growth of comedy radio, but one of the most important has been the ease of distribution. iTunes has made subscribing and getting podcasts a nearly one click operation. Additionally smart phones have played a huge aspect in growth of comedy podcast downloads. Before you would have to download a podcast, transfer over to your iPod to listen. Now with a smart phone you can download or stream podcasts right to your phone and just plug in and listen with a headjack. You can bring the phone anywhere, and with a simple auxiliary cord you can plug it into either your car or home stereo.
The 1980s saw the rise of the comedy club, and the 90s nearly saw it?s collapse. The Internet has changed the way people find and enjoy entertainment in a profound way. It seems like nothing can ever fully replace the uniqueness of a live show, the advent of the comedy podcast seems to be filling a gap. It allows people all over the world to hear a person?s take on comedy, without ever matching up the logistics of a live show. Eventually America became to saturated with comedy clubs, and some ended up going out of business. With little overhead it?s hard to put a comedy podcast out of business, and a least for now business is booming.
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