Influx

In part two of our continuing series on 2006 trends, John Keehler who writes the blog Random Culture , has picked vodcasting as his trend for 2006.

Here is his post:

Forget podcasting! It will certainly keep growing in 2006, but the important trend to watch next year is vodcasting. Vodcasts such as Diggnation, Rocketboom and Digital Life TV have already gained significant audiences.

So how will vodcasting manifest itself in 2006? We certainly will see more “citizen media” vodcasts, since barriers to entry such as cost and experience are low. But we’ll also see businesses adopting it. Ziff Davis’ Digital Life TV is already generating revenue with advertisers like CDW and Microsoft, and where there’s money to be made, businesses will want a piece of the action.

We’ll also see a movement to repurpose existing TV content for the vodcasting format, in the same way radio stations are currently adopting podcasting. Some will start charging for the content, establishing a subscription business model in this mostly advertising supported arena. We already know people will pay, as evidenced by Apple’s launch of video purchases through iTunes. In just twenty days, one million videos were sold. Soon other companies will be following ABC’s example. At the Reuters Media and Advertising Summit, Fox co-chairman James Gianopulos said they would be open to making a deal with iTunes.

But what I really hope to see with vodcasting are the long-tail possibilities. Cancelled shows with cult followings are reborn online, like Arrested Development or Firefly. With no network executives to please, and no FCC regulation, we could witness a creativity boom in “online-only” TV shows through this new distribution channel- vodcasting.

Check back tomorrow, as Influx will feature an interview with one of the leading vodcasting channels.