Oxymoron: Radio Show or Podcast?

Many people are misinformed about the differences between a podcast and a radio show so I thought I would try to clear up some of the differences. Let’s start out with some REAL definitions:

A Radio Show is a show that is on a radio station or a radio network.

A Radio Station is a site that is built for sound broadcasting a group of programs aired over radio waves, cable FM, private wired radio networks or the Internet. Often radio stations are linked in to a radio network.

A Radio Network is a system which usually produces almost all of their programs and distributes them to multiple radio stations either in syndication (a way of making program content available to a variety of broadcast channels) or simulcasting (when a group of programs or an individual program is broadcast at the same time across more than one broadcast channel) or through both syndication and simulcasting.

A Radio Webcast is a controlled server streaming in real time to many recipients who receive the encoded audio content at the same time.

A Podcast is a single program sent or downloaded to a listener’s media player or computer which is either automatically distributed via an RSS feed direct to a subscriber or is ‘cast’ down to the listener when accessed by the listener.

Now that we have the definitions we see that if you are with a radio station or part of a radio network you have a radio show, if not you have an audio podcast or are webcasting. You are probably doing all the producing, marketing and promotion yourself and may be limited to how many people can listen at the same time.

Operating since 2002, the HealthyLife.Net Radio Network reaches between 1 – 3 million listeners a month. It’s taken us over 6 years of good solid programming plus daily marketing and promotion to reach these numbers, which are high in the overall industry for one network.

Although our hosts still have to actively market their show, they also get the benefit of HealthyLife.Net marketing our whole radio network, as well as, the cross-marketing effect of the overflow from our over 40 hosts that have a similar niche demographic market. Our hosts get listeners first show out.

Starting in 2004, we became proactive with syndicating and simulcasting and thus became a radio network. Here at HealthyLife.Net Radio Network we are syndicated and simulcast 24/7 on over 25 channels including: the Internet, WiFi, Microsoft, Cellphones, PDAs and private radio networks. We even have archive shows and downloadable podcasts of our previously aired shows.

With thousands of dollars in sound equipment, experienced terrestrial radio audio engineers and great producers we produce top shows with great sound quality, which is very important to make our listener’s experience the best. Thankfully we have the availability to support unlimited listeners without degradation of quality and service. We are proud to be a real radio network running 24/7 all positive talk so our listeners can feel good and get help to find a happy, healthy life.