JOIN USCity’s podcasts varied in topics but few in number
When you’re stuck in traffic or need a break from your regular playlist, you can try the podcasts available on audio channels and YouTube.
A podcast is an episodic series of digital audio or video files which a user can download and listen to.
September 30 is celebrated as International Podcast Day and the community is hoping to rope in more listeners and spread the word. The official website (www.internationalpodcastday. com) is asking people to use the hashtag #InternationalPodcastDay, grab a mic and camera and ask someone about their podcast. Share the response on social media and partake in the events within the region and around the world.
There’s a number of different content you can tune into on SoundCloud, YouTube, Gaana, Spotify and JioSaavn. From comedy, social issues to even news, there are a few creators from Bengaluru too.
Bangalore Recording Company
Run by Ishwar Shankar and Gowri Omanakuttan, they send out the news of the day by 10 am via WhatsApp. Started in May 2018, they have recorded 503 show till today.
They realised that the radio has a lot of limitations, whereas WhatsApp gives them the freedom to connect to the audience directly. They even get their news from the listeners sometimes. Since it’s a two-person team, they don’t have the resources to get news first-hand, so they rely on other news agencies, papers and apps to report. WhatsApp allows one to create different broadcast lists (250 numbers each). The news is provided in Kannada and English. The Kannada news is read and translated by
Amulya Leona.
During the Kerala floods and General Election, BRC conducted campaigns to raise funds and provide information that other news agencies couldn’t.
Since it’s not a business account, the listeners have to add the number (99020 99056) to their phones and send a WhatsApp message in order to receive the morning report.
Birdy Num Num Podcast
Anyone who is interested in the comedy scene of Bengaluru knows the name Sanjay Manaktala, the English comedian from the US. His podcast ‘Birdy Num Num’ brings in guests from across the country and they talk about everything under the sun. From topics like technology, comedy, lifestyle, wellness and culture, it chronicles the hilarious anecdotes of the guests.
Some of his guests include illustrator Alicia Souza, actress Kubra Sait and fashion blogger and social media influencer Aswathi Balakrishnan, to name a few. There are also monologues
Sanjay himself does on topics like
‘How To Do Stand Up Comedy In India’ and ‘Does India Wear Deodrant’.
These conversations are candid, unfiltered and hilarious. Though he posts them on his social media platforms, ‘Birdy Num Num’ is available on YouTube.
The Pragati Podcast
It’s a weekly podcast that discusses topics on public policy, economics and international relations. Run by Pavan Srinath, also a fellow and faculty member at The Takshashila Institution, he’s also the host at Thalé-Haraté Kannada Podcast, India’s first weekly public affairs podcast in Kannada.
Pavan talks to scholars and experts and releases episodes every Thursday. The podcast is available on www.ivmpodcasts.com/the- pragati-podcast
In the Field
Though not a regular channel anymore, the shows are hosted by Radhika Viswanathan and Samyuktha Varma.
The 30-minute-long podcast talks to researchers, entrepreneurs, academics and activists to provide solutions to the problems the world is facing. The last time they posted on SoundCloud was two months ago.