Summary: <br> Most of us are governed by the clock. We get up by the clock, get to <br> work by the clock, and leave for home by the clock. We eat by the clock,<br> watch the clock, and when we retire we might be given a clock. (Have <br> you read Harlan Ellison’s Repent Harlequin, said the Ticktockman?)<br> <br> <br> <br> So governed are we by the clock that it is no surprise that someone <br> writes to ask what time of day they should release their podcast to a <br> waiting world. Thankfully, there’s an easy answer. Publish it when it’s <br> ready – you have a global audience living in their own time zone.<br> <br> <br> <br> The days of ‘appointment viewing’ (and listening) are long gone. On one side the family doesn’t have to gather at a certain time to watch a TV show (which some argue has upset traditional family time). On the other; play on demand means we can all consume what we want when we want.<br> <br> <br> <br> Podcasts are the audio-world’s Netflix. You can stream or download them whenever you want. <br> <br> <br> <br> So what’s the best time to release a podcast? There is no ideal time. Although there is. Friends in email marketing tell me they send out emails to members of their databases on either a Thursday or Friday at between 1 and 3pm. It’s the end of the week; people are starting to wind down and are looking for things to do at the weekend.<br> <br> <br> <br> What are we to take from this? You can release your podcast when you like; but if the vast majority of your listeners live in your time zone then there is no harm in publishing on a Thursday or Friday afternoon.<br> <br> <br> <br> In other news<br> <br> <br> <br> I was among those who was surprised to read in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/nov/27/why-podcasts-are-headed-for-disaster" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> the words “Regulation” and “Podcasts” in the same sentence.<br> <br> <br> <br> The introduction to Jack Seale’s feature on 27 November 2019 referred<br> to ‘Bedroom broadcasters’ as if recording in one’s bedroom made it a <br> lesser product than one recorded in an expensive studio owned by a <br> corporation. I really thought those days were behind us.<br> <br> <br> <br> But in the penultimate paragraph of the feature he talked of regulation. This has to be called out quickly and firmly.<br> <br> <br> <br> We need to be cautious and suspicious of such language. We need to <br> kick back on this at every turn. More regulation is not required. There <br> are more than enough laws already to covering libel, defamation, <br> contempt of court and copyright etc. More regulation is the last thing <br> that’s needed.<br> <br> <br> <br> Do not take comments such as these lying down. Be like Harlan Ellison's Harlequin.<br>
