Podcasting Rules

I'm not sure what kind of rules there are about podcasts. It's fairly organized - websites such as Podcast Alley (www.podcastalley.com) and it's all over iTunes. However, I'm constantly surprised by the content.

Granted, I noticed the little sign that says, "Explicit Content," but I was taken aback by the variety of curse words they were able to use. Some also talk fairly explicitly about sex, but they have "Explicit Content" clearly labeled on them. So maybe there is some control.

The other thing I noticed is that they play music on the shows. Do they have to have rights to those or is this the wild west of broadcasting?

Then there's the drug talk. People actually talking openly about smoking pot. It's strange. Am I a conservative, suddenly?

I've heard a few of them mention that listening to a podcast is free. They usually have a PayPal account so that you can donate if you want, to support their "art." I think some people become bitter about the fact that they have this hobby, which is getting a little expensive and all these people are listening to them for free. So they ask for money. I think it's tacky. The option of donating is fine. I listened to one that is looking for a sponsor. That's sort of cool. They don't talk about smoking pot.

With things like they are today - blogs and podcasts and all that - more people can get in there and do a talk show, a chat show, a themed show about the subject of their choice. It's an interesting world out there. Stay tuned for reviews.