THE EARS BECOME THE EYES AT WORLD"S SECOND-BIGGEST SPORTING EVENT

It"s Not What"s Seen Or Reported, But How The Public Is Reacting To What"s Seen Or Reported That Will Make This World Cup Groundbreaking

- May 19, 2006 - Second only to the Olympics in terms of global spectators, the FIFA World Cup is an international phenomena that attracts an audience in excess of one billion people - this year"s event in Germany could prove to be the tipping point for one form broadcasting as fans seek ever more dynamic ways of digesting news and commentary.

While TV and radio networks around the world are shelling out millions of dollars apiece for their country"s broadcast rights, and newspaper organizations are collectively investing millions to send crews to cover the month-long tournament in Germany, it could be the back-bedroom amateur on a shoe-string budget which creates the more memorable reportage this year.

The independent podcast - increasingly popular among the iPod generation - could become one of the media darlings of the year says Soccer Shout, described as the US and Europe"s most prolific independent football (soccer) podcast.

One-part radio phone-in mixed one-part bar room discussion, it is served up - as you like it - through your PC or MP3 player, on demand, when you want it.

Like most of these underground trends, you"re unlikely to know about it until someone tells you; it"s not advertised, that"s not the point. Its audience - like-minded people who have their own views and want to listen to others - grows organically by word of mouth or, more probably, by a link sent to their inbox.

Soccer Shout was established earlier this year by two thirty-something guys, both with a background in IT, but more importantly both with shared fanaticism for their sport - soccer.

One of its co-founders, Phil McThomas, 35, an Englishman now married and living in the US, said: "As is the case with new products or services, they"re often borne out of a need which can"t be fulfilled - you want something, you can"t get it, so you end up doing it yourself.

"Myself and Tony [Wildey, 31, originally from Edinburgh, now living in NYC - the fellow co-founder] were just chatting one night, over a beer, about the lack of soccer coverage in the US, about how, in the UK, there are radio phone-ins dedicated solely to soccer 24 hours a day, and about how soccer fans get their fixes from a variety of media.

"We were bemoaning the scarcity of football podcasts and quickly sketched out the format - a soccer show that involves the listener, one they can listen to where and when they want, and that isn"t subject to the same constraints as traditional media."

With their technical background, it didn"t take them long to turn the beer mat notes into reality, and they now deliver five shows per week as part of their coverage of the soccer season in England and Scotland.

However, it is the 2006 World Cup, which could elevate Soccer Shout from a part-time hobby into a full-time day job.

The World Cup shows will offer a host of independent contributors from football blogs, other podcasts, to plain old fans, plus an innovative World Cup wall chart that allows listeners to track the competition and run a match prediction competition among friends and colleagues.

Like their successful shows to date, the goal for the World Cup is to provide a platform for the contributors to showcase their talents and in the process create coverage of the tournament that differs from anything else available.

The co-founders are also the presenters and as Tony Wildey admits they expect the fever pitch atmosphere that the World Cup brings will grow listeners and contributors exponentially.

He said: "I don"t think that many people in the US realize the importance of the World Cup - soccer is the world"s most popular game and this tournament is the pinnacle that we see once every four years.

"It will be a media frenzy and we expect the new media strands - in-match web commentary, blogs and podcasting, etc - to hit all-time highs in terms of hits. It will take participation levels to a whole new level, and as we know, once a viral kicks-in and the tipping point is reached, it isn"t easily forgotten."

Each show delivers a round-up of results, previews, and late-breaking news culled from various news sources; the delivery is informal and chatty with a smattering of humor and cynicism.

With the World Cup in mind, they are opening up the microphone to writers and podcasters who normally dedicate their time to individual club fan sites. Listeners also have a standing invitation to phone-in their comments on a voicemail hotline, which are then spliced into the next show.

"Every team has a number of websites where fans are writing their own articles about what"s going on with their team," added Wildey. "During the World Cup, they will join the melting pot at Soccer Shout. We already have commitments from several writers, and we"ll be adding more in the coming weeks."

It is the real, honest fan ingredient which makes it compulsive listening concludes McThomas: "You can"t beat it when you get a call from a supporter at a match, on their way to it, or leaving a stadium for home. Unlike traditional broadcasting which is largely neutral and unbiased, these are from the heart, absolutely partial and often without forethought - audio gold, in fact.

"Whether it"s direct from fans in Germany, or from those watching from bars or the couch, we"re hoping for instant, incisive comments, as well as rational and irrational analysis."

Although this is the first World Cup to be covered by podcasters, the format is quickly moving into the mainstream. Britain"s BBC already has sport shows available by podcast, while the London Times newspaper is sponsoring two comedians for a series of ten podcasts produced during the tournament.

However, it is in the amateur arena where podcasters could really make big in-roads into traditional media. "Being independent means we can play it fast and loose. We don"t aim to shock - in fact, we consider our show to be kid-friendly," added McThomas.

"If there"s not much action on a given day, we don"t need to pad our show to a certain number of minutes. If we get a lot of listener voice mail, we can shut up and let the fans talk. And, at the end of the day, if we want a beer during the show, no-one"s going to stop us."

A podcast is similar to a radio program that is available for download. The audience listens to each show either on a computer or by transferring the show to an MP3 player. Software, such as Apple"s free iTunes program, is available to track a listener"s favorite podcasts, automatically downloading new shows as they become available.

Soccer fans wishing to make their own contribution to Soccer Shout can voice them now and during the World Cup by dialing 206 337 0513 in the US or 0161 660 8331 in the UK. The show can be downloaded free from http://soccershout.com or through iTunes. Email soccershoutgmail.com


For Further Information
For interviews or further information, contact Phil McThomas on 001-201-725-6225, or by email - soccershoutgmail.com.

Notes For Editors
Soccer Shout is free-to-air audio program produced by Phil McThomas, 35 and Tony Wildey, 31. Conceived in the middle of a rant about the dearth of soccer podcasts, it goes out every weekday morning - and every day during the World Cup - from an operation in the vicinity of Washington, DC.

Both Phil and Tony are IT professionals with an insatiable appetite for soccer, though Phil is a Middlesbrough supporter and Tony is a Hearts fan.

20.05.2006 - 2:15 Source: 24-7pressrelease.com | Read: 321 X