CoMC Podcasts

The College of Media & Communication hosts and produces multiple podcasts available worldwide. From student-led productions to deep dives into faculty research, we provide tips for success, industry insight, and communication education. Browse our podcasts below!

On Communication 

On Communication was created in 2021 by James Loss, who began the podcast as an employee of CoMC's marketing department while he completed a M.A. in mass communication. Loss continues the podcast today, discussing the latest developments in communication research with CoMC's esteemed faculty.

Use the link(s) below to explore in-depth discussions about artificial intelligence, video games, sports PR and more!

Listen on Anchor | Listen on Spotify

CoMC Office Hours

CoMC Office Hours (affectionately knowns as Office Hours) was created in 2021 by the Office of Undergraduate Affairs. Student employees of the undergraduate level rotate as hosts for the podcast, where they visit with alumni, staff, faculty and more. Office Hours intends to assist current students by offering real-world knowledge and experience of communication in #AnyIndustyAnywhere, as well as tackling questions about life as a college student.

Listen on Anchor | Listen on Breaker | Listen on Google Podcasts

Listen on Radio Public | Listen on Spotify

A brief history of podcasts and podcasting

Debate surrounds the idea of naming one podcast as the “first” podcast. Some date the first podcast back to the 1980's, though they were known then as audioblogs. Some credit the New England Patriots with the first podcast, as the franchise from the National Football League launched an on-demand internet radio show named PFW in Progress. However, most scholars and journalists can agree to bestow the title of First Podcast to Doug Kaye and his show, It Conversations, which debuted in 2003 and ran to 2012.

In 2004, journalist Ben Hammersley coined the term podcast and its variations. At the time, iPods were the premiere technology allowing listeners to bring their podcasts with them wherever they went. Couple the word “iPod” with “broadcast,” such as a traditional radio broadcast, and Hammersley gifted the dictionary a new word.

Since Hammersley's pronouncement, podcasts have taken mainstream media by storm. The boom in popularity can, arguably, be accredited to Serial, an investigate journalism podcast which took over pop-culture with the fervor of The Sopranos or Game of Thrones. Currently, more than 850,000 podcasts remain active as of 2022. Likewise, there are more than 4 million unique podcast episodes, and nearly fifty percent of all homes in America are fans of one podcast or another.

Explore Our Programs

Are you interested in creating or producing podcasts? You might be interested in our Journalism or Creative Media Industries Program.