Call goes out for 'podstars'

Britain's would-be stars will be able to show off their talents (or lack of) on a podcasting service being launched by British Telecom.

The company has teamed up with US PodShow Network to provide the service, to be available to all British internet users.

In the US, some shows on the website - produced by a mixture of amateurs and professionals - get millions of downloads a month.

BT PodShow is calling for aspiring film producers, musicians, presenters and DJs to submit audio and video content. The best material will feature on The Show section of the website.

"People are tired of TV and radio," Podshow chief executive Ron Bloom said. "We are moving from a world of broadcasting to a world of 'all-casting' where everyone wants a reliable way to create, share and connect. There is an incredible amount of talent and programming out there that never sees the light of day ... "

He said podcasting "bridged the chasm" between established media, such as the BBC, and new offerings, such as YouTube and MySpace. While there are millions of user-made videos on YouTube, the idea with podcasting is to commit to a regular show to create a fanbase.

- INDEPENDENT