Podcasting Numbers Were Overhyped

Pew Internet and American Life released a survey the other day claiming 30-precent of iPod owners have downloaded a podcast. Now they say those numbers are likely not accurate.

We reported yesterday that Pew Internet and American Life had released a survey claiming that 30% percent of iPod owners have downloaded a podcast, which comes out to about 6 million people. Sound far-fetched? New evidence shows that the survey is most likely not accurate and even Pew Internet and American Life has gone on record stating they do not believe those figures.

“Pew research director Mary Madden believes the numbers of people actually using the Internet to broadcast and/or download pods is smaller than the 6 million figure cited in the organization’s latest study, however.

“Our question to the survey respondents on this was very broad. We asked if they had ever downloaded a podcast or radio Internet program,” she says. In other words, the survey also netted affirmatives from people who may have listened to an NPR program on the radio, for example, and then gone to the NPR site to download it. “

Read more at NewsFactor

Found VIA Techdirt