Tap Dancing Podcaster to Accept Commercials: "It's the way of the world," sighs pioneer in the field
Added: (Tue Aug 09 2005)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Podcasting is bigger than sliced bread, catching on with amateur and pro broadcasters alike, all of them with one thought in their head: "How can I make money at this?"
Bloggers are supplementing their outside incomes by opening up space on their sites for ads, and now Tap Dancing Newscaster Sondra Lowell is opening up a verse in her singing/dancing podcast for commercials.
"Radio hosts do testimonials for all manner of products," she said almost (but not quite) apologetically. "Podcasters can recommend weight loss products we don't use and air cleaners that generate dangerous ozone with the best of them--and we need the money more than they do," she pointed out.
Her latest podcast is a musical accounting of Michael Jackson jurors cleaning up on their unanimous decision to acquit a man they saw all along as a dangerous sexual preditor; the safe return of the space shuttle; and the San Quentin riot that spared still-handsome murderer Scott Peterson.
The remaining verse of the minute long report, heretofore devoted to such news as natural disasters, Christina Aguilera comments on Britney Spears or, oftentimes, the weather, is an open invitation to advertisers.
"OK, maybe there are still people who think news should be pure," admitted the musically inclined reporter, "but that fight was lost when TV news started staging events and stopped checking out National Guard memos. TV and movies sneak ads into their content and so can I."
The pioneer of tap dancing podcasting and former Shakespearean tap dancer refused to give a price for the commercials, saying that will be worked out.. between her and interested companies.
Sondra Lowell's podcasts can be subscribed to at http://www.ourmedia.org/user/33514.
The podcast containing the message to potential advertisers can be heard at http://ia300106.us.archive.org/1/items/Tap_Dancing_News_8905/TapDancingNews8905.MP3.