In this episode of “Todd and Rob is Back in the Afternoon,” Todd Cochrane and Rob Greenlee embark on a wide-ranging discussion starting with Todd’s newly rebuilt studio. Todd details his extensive weekend efforts in wiring and cleaning up his new studio space, which visually appears like the old studio despite the new location. Rob empathizes with Todd, sharing his experiences with surplus cables and studio equipment.

The conversation then turns technical as Todd explains his complex internet setup, utilizing Starlink and a point-to-point connection due to his rural location’s limitations concerning broadband access. Much of the discussion underscores the challenges and high costs associated with improving rural broadband connectivity, highlighting Todd’s interactions with service providers and the government’s role in funding rural broadband.

Attention then shifts to a critical discussion of recent developments with Patreon and Apple’s App Store fees, analyzing the impact on creators and potential workarounds. Alongside this, they critique the broader media industry’s drive towards direct uploads and data analytics in podcasting, expressing concerns about possible negative impacts on the open nature of podcasting.

Todd and Rob also delve into podcasting standards, like RSS, fearing that a move away could diminish podcasters’ control over distribution. They stress the importance of maintaining podcasting as an independent and open platform that is resistant to dominance by large proprietary platforms.

Furthermore, the duo discusses the implications of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) dissolution, the underlying platform NewsGuard, and its impact on podcast content filtering. Their conversation reveals skepticism towards these platforms’ intentions and benefits, urging podcasters to be vigilant about where and how their content is managed.

Closing the episode, Todd and Rob cover various other significant industry topics, including platform-specific issues, user experiences across podcast services, and emerging tools purportedly evaluating podcast audio quality.

This episode thoroughly examines podcasting logistics, the balance between innovation and maintaining traditional standards, and the ongoing debate over content management and platform control in the increasingly complex podcast industry landscape.

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