From the Times:

The UK’s first qualification in podcasting, in which pupils will learn how to make audio and video broadcasts available on the internet or to download on to MP3 players, will begin in September.

The course, awarded by the NCFE (formerly the National Council for Further Education) will run at level 1 (GCSE grades D-G) and allow students to learn the processes of planning and carrying out a podcast.

David Grailey, chief executive of NCFE, said: “Podcasting is fast becoming a part of everyday life - vicars are delivering sermons via podcasts, police departments are launching ‘crimewatch’ video podcasts and schools and colleges are recording lessons via podcasts. It’s therefore vital that we offer people both an understanding and the skills to utilise this technology.”

“Your right to podcast your own voice speaking your own words cannot be licensed, and should be a freedom for all in perpetuity” - UKPA Founding statement, March 2006.

The UK Podcasters Association was formed as a result of a badly phrased press release from MCPS-PRS (the UK Performing Rights Organisations who control music licensing and revenue distribution on behalf of recording companies, publishers, writers and artists) which implied they were about to licence speech-only podcasts.

UK podcasters answered this by forming a non-profit association, which produced this first articulation of podcasters’ inalienable rights.

Since then we’ve attempted to make more sense of the situation by building and maintaining active links with the licensing bodies, entering into dialogue with UK government, and joining with other groups internationally to bring about recognition of our basic rights.

Since April 2007 new members have been joining at around three per week, many of them also belonging to other associations and unions - NUJ, BECTU, Musicians Union, Radio Academy.