What's a Podcast? RIDOT Enters the Age of New Media

What is a podcast?
A podcast is a multimedia file distributed over the Internet for playback on a mobile device, such as an MP3 player, or a computer. Podcasts initially began as an audio-only file, but as technology evolved, video podcasts became increasingly popular. RIDOT’s Iway podcasts are video podcasts.

What is in a podcast?
Podcasts are used to communicate a wide range of information from news to entertainment to documentaries. RIDOT’s Iway podcasts are in the form of a documentary that is broken into episodes.

How does a podcast work?
A podcast is available when a content provider, like RIDOT, makes a podcast file available on the Internet. Users will be able to download the Iway podcasts directly from RIDOT’s website. The files can then be played on the computer or transferred to an MP3 player for portable viewing. Users often use a program such as iTunes or Windows Media Player to move the podcast file to an MP3 device.

Why is RIDOT using video podcasts for the Iway?
RIDOT is aggressively looking at new ways to share information with the general public. At the same time RIDOT is looking for ways to present this information in an interesting and engaging manner. Doing so will encourage more people to view the information and interest others in a way that has not been done before.  Podcasts can reach a broad audience and their images can run throughout the life of this project, and beyond.

Why is RIDOT releasing the podcasts now?
The first portion of the Iway, I-95 North to I-195 East and the new Providence River Bridge, is scheduled to open to traffic later this month. The podcasts allow the Department to review, with the public, what has occurred to this point and show what the future holds.

How are the podcasts going to be released?
Four podcast episodes are going to be released each week over the next three weeks. All together there will be 12 podcasts – six in English and six in Spanish. The video content will be the same. Only the audio will be different.

The podcasts will be bilingual?
Yes. Close to 10 percent of the Rhode Island population is Hispanic or Latino. RIDOT feels it is very important to share this Iway information with this community.

How long are the podcasts?
Each podcast runs for about three minutes.

What does RIDOT hope to accomplish with the podcasts?
It is important to keep in mind that younger Americans do not use traditional media for news and information in the same way that older audiences do. Young people do, however, use the same roads and bridges as their parents and grandparents. So, while we continue to work with traditional media to distribute news and information about RIDOT, we need to reach out to younger audiences with new media.

Are podcasts just for 20-somethings?
No. New technology is being embraced by all age groups. Many of our parents and even grandparents own computers and media players. Mainstream media such as National Public Radio and The New York Times offer podcasts on their websites as do many local and national television outlets.

What are the transportation reasons for producing these podcasts?
There are many, including awareness, documentation and safety. The podcasts will help inform and educate the public about the Iway, chronicle the key phases of the Iway project in a clear and illustrative manner, and show motorists how Providence traffic patterns are changing.

How will RIDOT promote the podcasts?
RIDOT is partnering with the media, using advertising, and plans to post the podcasts on file sharing sites such as Blinkx (www.blinkx.com), iTunes (www.apple.com) and YouTube (www.youtube.com) to help get the word out.

Are podcasts cost effective?
Yes.  These mini-videos are a much more compelling means of sharing information than brochures or flyers or even print advertisements. The idea that a picture is worth a thousand words is really true. What better way to explain how the Iway signature bridge was moved into place than to see it?  Podcasts can run in perpetuity.  Their lasting images make for a more economical message.