Random Night Vale observation: I just realized I picture Muriel from Courage the Cowardly Dog when Cecil talks about Old Woman Josie.

So I'm guessing Night Vale is like an old-time radio show, only over the computer?

It's a podcast, Connie.

Yes, I know. And I've been trying to figure out what makes a podcast different from an old time radio show. So far, all I've got is "It's on the computer and can be heard at different times."

Nothing like coming back from vacation to a vaguely threatening letter from the property management company ("This letter is from a debt collector..."), when we'd never received any other kind of notice that a payment was due.

I'm not saying I know her, I'm just saying I'd happily punch her in the face.

And I've been trying to figure out what makes a podcast different from an old time radio show.

As opposed to a new time radio show? They're recordings. They used to put them on tapes and on these shiny round things (black round things before that), but now they're invisible on computers and can travel through the air! Oh, what wonders we muggles have.

I'm not sure why radio show is your point of reference--they can be, but that's kinda limiting. This one literally is in that format, but it's any audio or video recording that's delivered.

I used to do radio shows, which is why I've locked on htat. Any purely audio dramatic presentation is framed in a radio drama framework. I wasn't sure what the video element of a podcast was.

Plus I'm amused at the recurrence of audio theater. It pleases me.

Yes, I know. And I've been trying to figure out what makes a podcast different from an old time radio show.

Weren't old time radio shows like The Shadow just fiction with multiple roles played by multiple actors? Basically, TV before TV? (Well, fictional TV dramas and whatnot.)

Lots of podcasts aren't fiction at all. They're just people talking about stuff. Like, Car Talk could have been a podcast.

True, the majority of current podcasts are non-fiction/news. I was wondering if the older forms of audio theater would make a comeback.

Sorry if my ridiculous literalness missed your point. To answer a question you didn't literally ask: yup, podcasts are the digital version of people talking "on air" in some format, and other people can access and listen to it. But you knew that, so I don't know why I felt compelled to state that.