The LA Times is getting into the
travel podcasting game with these newsy little audio bits that are, well, kinda awful. They’re produced in a very
spartan voice-only way, with writer Jane Engle reading. There’s little or no music (though several of them have a kind
of NPRish intro), no nat sound, and each lasts just a few minutes.
The brevity is nice, the topics are practical and, well, fine
(this one on drinking age issues from state to
state is mildly interesting), but the fact is, they could be jazzed up nicely with just a bit of music, some nat sound
and additional interviews. No one is going to download these things on their ipods on a regular basis as they currently
stand. But it’s a good first try, and I’m sure they’ll improve with time. The Times can, of course, call us if they
need some help. ;-)