As if there weren't already thousands of ways to fill our limited leisure time, here's a new one -- podcasting.

		How to get podcasting files Podcasting, a new Web-based broadcasting medium, gets its name from a combination of iPod, Apple's popular portable mp3 player, and the term broadcasting. The process is similar to subscribing to an audio "magazine" and can be compared to the way TiVo records TV broadcasts for later viewing. Podcast programs can be stored and listened to on a computer or mp3 player or portable device whenever the listener wants. There are two ways to get podcast files. One is to download the mp3 file -- the same way one downloads a song or music file, although typically podcast files are much larger. The second, easier way is to use a program that enables the listener to "subscribe" to podcasts, which are automatically updated, downloaded and stored for later listening or for transfer into a portable player. The programs needed to do this can be downloaded through various podcasting Web sites. -- Adrian McCoy

Unlike conventional AM and FM radio or even satellite radio, programs are downloaded from the Internet into a portable mp3 player that listeners can take wherever they want. It takes Internet broadcasting off the computer desktop and onto a new level as entertainment on demand.

What are they podcasting in cyberspace? People are programming their own music programs, hosting their own talk shows, and creating audio Web logs, or blogs. Many podcasts are devoted to different genres of music and Internet/technology topics. Others are geared to specialized interests like wine making and home brewing.

As with blogging, the quality of programming varies widely, with personal rants and content that might appeal only to an audience of one -- the podcaster who created it.

But some podcasts are finding an audience. Many Web sites are already compiling top podcast lists. Among the most popular, according to the site Podcasting News, are NASA's CurrentStories podcast, which explains NASA research to the public; "The Seanachai," billed as a "weekly program of off-center storytelling and cleverly disguised commentary"; comedy by Firesign Theater; a daily blog posted by podcast pioneer/DJ Adam Curry; "The Vinyl Podcast," billed as "fair use of forgotten music" and NPR's "On the Media."

For music fans, it's a way to hear new music or niche music not heard over the airwaves. For musicians, it's a way to get exposure via sites such as "The Roadhouse," "the finest blues you've never heard," and "Coverville," an all-cover-songs format.

Even the popular talk radio finds a new home here. "Free Talk Live" looks at current topics such as health care, gun control and news stories. "Open podcast.org" takes the open mike approach, inviting listeners to submit their own short commentaries for a kind of unmoderated call-in talk show.

Some of the liberal talk network Air America's programming is available this way, including "Morning Sedition," and the Al Franken and Randi Rhodes daily talk shows.

Just as Web sites played a bigger role in the last presidential campaign, podcasts are also being used by politicians as a new way to get their ideas across to a larger audience. Former vice presidential candidate John Edwards is using podcasts on his One America Committee Web site (http://ga3.org/podcast/podcasting101.html). The Republican Party's Web site (gop.com) offers podcasts of a series of Web interviews with Republican leaders.

	Podcasting Web sites Here are a few podcasting Web sites to get you started: iPodder.org: Guide to more than 4,000 podcasts, plus helpful information on how to tune them in (ipodder.org) Podcasting News: News about the budding podcasting business, plus forum and links to podcasts (podcastingnews.com) Podcast.net -- The Podcast Directory: Guide to podcasts, classified by subject, such as sports, arts and rants (podcast.net) Podcast Alley: Portal to top podcasts, plus a user's forum (podcastalley.com) Podcast Bunker: A selection of top podcasts, along with 30-second previews (podcastbunker.com) DownloadRadio: Links to legal downloads of radio programs (downloadradio.org) The Freshest Podcasts in the Known Universe: Links to 100 podcasts (audio.weblogs.com) AllPodcasts.com: A search index for podcasts (allpodcasts.com) Yahoo Podcasters Mailing List: Mailing list for podcasters and listeners (groups.yahoo.com/ group/podcasters) -- Adrian McCoy

Locally, mayoral candidate Bill Peduto is using podcasting technology as part of his campaign arsenal. The recent PUMP mayoral forum is available online at Peduto's site (billpeduto.com). Peduto sees real potential for communicating with voters this way. "You get to hear directly from the candidates, in the candidate's voice, from a real event. It provide far more information than anyone is going to read."

He also sees it as an ideal way to reach younger voters. "The target is a younger audience and a more tech-oriented audience. To those folks, podcasts are a daily occurrence. They're not watching the 6 o'clock news to get information."

While Pittsburgh so often lags behind national trends, the presence of many tech-savvy people here and an active blogging community is already driving several local podcasts.

The EMayhem Radio Podcast (emayhem.libsyn.org) is a site that features regular podcasts by a variety of local artists. Podcasts dating back to the site's debut in October are archived there.

Dave Mansueto of EMayhem and a group of other local artists wanted to create a resource that would give them exposure in an online venue.

EMayhem's podcasts are hosted through Liberated Syndication (libsyn.com), a service that offers podcasters a way to get their shows online.

On Emayhem, you'll find a radio drama called "The Stalls" and a talk radio channel. Musician Dan Barone files audio dispatches from the road. There's also link to the Peduto podcasts.

Mansueto's enthusiasm for podcasting and its potential is infectious. "The potential is limitless," he says. "You can distribute anything. Your audience is the entire global community. You make your own programming, your own music, your own news. The only limitations are storage space and bandwidth."

For the listener, it's equally liberating, he says. "It frees you from your computer. You're not restrained to programming times."

Mike Woycheck of the Pittsburgh Webloggers site (pghbloggers.org) launched the first installment of a podcast talk show this month.

Woycheck, an information technology professional from Ross, sees podcasting as the next logical step for bloggers because it gives them a way to create dialogue. "Blogging by nature is more often one-way than it is two-way," he says.

The monthly talk show will be around 20 or 25 minutes long, in order to keep the download file size smaller, and will features members of the local blogging community talking about news of the day. Woycheck will set up conference calls and tape the discussions, which will then be available online for download.

Woycheck cites recent events such as the Terri Schiavo case and the death of Pope John Paul II as examples of topics that generated a lot of talk on the blogger sites. These ideas and opinions could be worth hearing, he believes. "Some blogs are more interesting than others. But there are many that are by good writers who have interesting views." Woycheck also sees podcasting as a real sea change in media technology, "You can really take this show with you. I guess it's the TiVo-ing of society. Listen around your schedule and on your terms."

Mainstream radio is already taking notice of the new technology and its potential to enhance traditional broadcasting and webcasting. Several stations across the country are experimenting with podcast programming, including WYNC in New York, WGBH in Boston and Canada's CBC Radio One.

For a music station to start podcasts means paying additional copyright licensing fees -- which is the same reason that many commercial music stations choose not to stream their signal online. Many music podcasters skirt this issue by playing only material that isn't protected by copyright rules, such as original music submitted by musicians trying to get airplay, or music protected under a Creative Commons license, which an alternative method of copyrighting material and allows some free use of material.

Because of the copyright question, local public station management at WDUQ-FM and WYEP-FM are following the growth of podcasting but haven't committed to it.

As podcasts join mainstream broadcasting's competitors, including satellite and Internet radio, it opens yet another chapter in communications history.

Twentieth-century society was "built around TV and radio. This technology is a natural evolution of Web and media technologies," EMayhem's Mansueto says. "It's about the democratization of media. The playing field is evened. This is a complete paradigm shift."