Podcast Recommendations 1 – Media and Chart chat

With it’s origins as one of the stable of Guardian podcasts, after the Guardian downsized their podcasting operation in 2014, The Media Podcast became an independent production. Turning to crowdfunding they have continued to discuss matters TV, radio and press, with some significant players in the industry. I guess the couple of bob I put into their funding campaign five years ago has probably been spent by now, but they seem to be surviving and picking up sponsorship deals. They often get full recordings of sessions from conferences such as the Edinburgh TV Festival which are released as bonus episodes that are worth a listen.

Hosted by the original music chart guru James Masterton. I was reading his column back in the mid 90s, having the heady luxury of free internet access at my university I recall printing off his chart commentary and scrawling across the printout “don’t read out word for word – just use information to make your own links” before leaving it in the radio studio. For many years in the 2010’s this print column also had this accompanying podcast. I for one found this invaluable to keep up with the comings and goings of current music long after I’d grown out of listening to the likes of Radio 1 and Capital (née Galaxy / Kiss). As with many labours of love I think the work load of recording this podcast was too much and it ceased regular production and then stopped completely. Anyone who has the power of persuasion or the sponsor deal to encourage James to relaunch this podcast, even if only on a monthly basis please come forward!