My CBC.ca viewing was interrupted today by a survey request. CBC wanted to know more about how I felt about podcasts. Yippee! A couple of things here to note: the “could you fill out this survey” was a clear question and I was told it would take approx. 15 min, good to know, and when I clicked yes, I got to view the story I was going to before I had to take the survey. Lovely because 15 min. later I would have forgotten why I’d come to the site in the first place. The survey layout was also great. There was a progress bar at the bottom so I could see how far along I was. The questions were phrased in an easy-to-understand way with good check boxes. The only question I didn’t like was one where you pick which programs you’d like podcasts of and you could only pick a maximum of 5. There were at least 10 I wanted, but I guess the survey folks need to narrow things down. Overall it was fantastic and I said at the end that I would be interested in discussing the future of podcasts more so I signed my name and contact info. At the moment I listen mostly to the Radio 3 podcasts and Tod Maffin’s, but I was thinking the other day that those damn leaders debates should be podcasts because I kind of have cooler things to do at 8 pm than sit around watching a bunch of hot headedness. I know CBC has the debates in video form you can download, but I need the podcast version so I can listen to it in the car on the way to and from work. Maybe podcasts of the leaders debates exist and I haven’t found them?
I did find the CBC Blog Report on the election though:
Canada Votes Blog report
The only other dissatisfying part of the survey was a series of questions on whether I’d pay to hear CBC podcasts and how much. I understand there are costs involved for producing new content and that there are permissions and rights fees for using the radio content in a podcast but I don’t want a subscription model (i.e., pay X amount for unlimited downloads during 12 months) nor do I want a per podcast fee. So I said I’d be ok with sponsorship or advertising. I used to be a regular Globe and Mail reader. I looked at the online site every morning and then sometimes in the afternoon if I was following a story. Now, I never go to the site because you have to subscribe to see the good stuff.
I’m very glad that CBC offers podcasts and I hope they continue to be free and I loved taking their survey even though I hate surveys. I guess relevance is everything in surveyland.