The iTunes effect begins - KCRW Podcasts increased tenfold

Michael Gartenberg | June 29, 2005, 04:13 PM

From my colleague Joe Laszlo. The masses don't care about OPML import or export. Or other devices for that matter. All they care about is ease of use and does it work with the iPod. It is easy and it works so this is the net effect. Podcasting for the time being is an Apple phenomena.

NEWS RELEASE  NEWS RELEASE  NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: June 29, 2005;  KCRW Media Contacts: Sarah Spitz (310) 314-4627 and Debbie Adler (310) 314-4625

KCRW PODCASTS INCREASED TENFOLD YESTERDAY
With the launch of iTunes 4.9

Southern California’s number one public radio station, KCRW, has been offering its worldwide listenership the opportunity to podcast its line-up of locally produced talk, news, cultural programs and commentaries, free of charge since March 1. Thirteen of those podcasts are now being featured on the newest version of Apple's iTunes 4.9, which allows users to subscribe, manage and listen to podcasts. The new service was launched yesterday.

When KCRW first launched its podcasting lineup on March 1st, the average number of weekly downloads was 25,000. Last week, the average weekly number of KCRW program downloads was 100,000.

With the launch of iTunes 4.9 on Tuesday, podcasts of KCRW programs increased tenfold, from a previous daily average of 10,000 to 100,000. In fact, says KCRW Management Consultant, Will Lewis, "Our webmaster had to switch us over to a much bigger server because of the stratospheric increase in traffic."  The Treatmentwith Elvis Mitchell and Harry Shearer's LeShow, two of the KCRW programs featured on the iTunes homepage, leaped from an average of 2,000 a day to 20,000 each yesterday. Unique visitors to KCRW.com doubled as well, from a daily average of 30,000 to 60,000.