Five months ago, three friends — out of boredom during lockdown — started a podcast ‘Aralikatte’ where they discussed various issues on a weekly basis. “Thirty episodes old now, the podcast has acquired a loyal listenership,” said Mukund Setlur, one of the three founders.
Podcasts are a relatively new medium and those in Kannada are taking baby steps here.
“There are only a handful of podcasts in Kannada. Going by the response to our podcast, it is evident the problem is on the supply side and not demand. The lockdown has created a new consumer base for podcasts, especially among senior citizens,” said Pavan Srinath, who has a podcast called Thale-Harate. Leading legacy media houses are experimenting in the medium, offering their content in audio format in Kannada.
A very successful podcast has been “Janasuddi”, a science podcast started in 2017, a finalist in the Falling Walls, Berlin Science Week Festival for science communication. “I started this podcast as a resource for science teachers in Kannada. But it has grown beyond that and has garnered a loyal listenership,” Kollegala Sharma, a CFTRI scientist spearheading the podcast, said.
