I posted the following this morning on my NewsNosh blog.  I think it's relevant here as well:

Online news has never been more exciting.  Sources of news -- business news among them -- are popping up everywhere. 

I'd like to invite all FKCBlog readers to visit a new site we've been working on for a little while now:

NewsNosh.

NewsNosh is an online business news source directory that is searchable by industry and type of entry.  If you're looking for blogs on investing, for example, you simply choose "investing" under category on the homepage and "blog" under type.  The database will return a list immediately.

Yesterday was a very big day for blogging and podcasting -- particularly for those of us using these new media vehicles in PR and overall corporate communications.  Do you know why?

The reason is this: IE 7. 

IE 7 is the new version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser, and it's big news for us because it includes RSS feeds.  When browsing a page that has an RSS feed in IE 7 you can see via a lit, orange RSS chicklet that there is a feed, subscribe to the feed, and look at the feed updates right in your "favorites" window. 

I'm pleased to officially announce the launch of FKC Newsmaker Interviews, a new podcasting service that allows organizations of all sizes to begin podcasting quickly and easily.

(To view the press release, click here.)

As readers of FKCBlog know well, I'm very bullish about the power of new media distribution platforms as a component of effective communications programs.

Broadband adoption soared 59% during the 12 months through March 2006 among middle- and working-class households, according to a recent AP report I saw on Yahoo! News.

This strongly suggests to me that the great growth we have seen in podcasting, blogging and RSS will continue for some time and that these media formats have a good chance of becoming mainstream channels. 

For those of us using these distribution methods to complement our PR efforts, it seems clear we're on the right track!  The AP story explained:

As podcasts become more widely adopted, it's worth keeping an eye on who is using them for communications -- and how.

Today, the very good communications blog Micro Persuasion linked to an item on Podcasting News about the big financial services firm Bear Stearns launching "BearCast:"

BearCast delivers Bear Stearns conference calls, proprietary research and special events in downloadable audio files for busy investors to listen to anywhere.

We all know that some of the newer forms of communication -- RSS feeds, blogs, podcasts -- have generated a great deal of buzz.  The question is, where are they going?

Will they grow to become a permanent piece of the marketing/PR mix, or will they fade away after the initial enthusiasm is gone?

In a post today, Church of the Customer Blog cites an AdAge report that describes expected marketing spend on various forms of new media.  It shows they are getting serious attention from marketers -- in the form of actual budget!

Conduct just a cursory examination of the podcasting phenomenon, and there's no doubt it represents something quite special.

Heck, I've jumped in with both feet.  (See my podcast, Talking Communications with Farrell Kramer.) 

Today, FeedBurner -- a leading service I use that aggregates and tracks RSS feeds, including podcasts -- has come out with some astounding numbers on the growth of this new medium.  On its Burning Questions blog, FeedBurner reports: 

The day has arrived!  Farrell Kramer Communications joins the podcasting wave today.

Talking Communications with Farrell Kramer, a podcast on all aspects of communications, has officially launched.  You can find episode 1 at the podcast's home page -- www.talkingcommunications.com.  The first episode explores the art of the interview.

On the podcast site, you can read all about it:

What makes a good interview?  What makes a bad one?  What are reporters' pet peeves?  This episode sums up all the things a communicator should know before chatting with journalists.

Anne D'Innocenzio, who covers the retail industry for The Associated Press, is our guest.  Anne gives a wonderful, candid interview on her experience with the news side of interviews.

Podcasting is one of the most exciting new mediums of communication to arise for some time.  (As some of you know, I'm launching a podcast later this month called Talking Communications with Farrell Kramer.  I'll provide more details as we get closer.)

The strength of podcasting is the ability to create audio files that can be disseminated by link via RSS feed or e-mail, downloaded, or played directly on the pages of a Web site or blog. 

For communicators, the possibilities are tremendous.  Companies with good ideas to talk about can produce their own broadcast-quality shows and send them to exactly the right audience.  This is radio on steroids.  No worrying about the chance that most of your audience will miss your show.  They can play it whenever they wish.