Going against the establishment, one podcast at a time

Radio was one of the things I loved growing up. I used to listen to it non-stop in my pre-teen years. But with the rise of modern alternatives, most significantly the rise of iPod and podcasts, radio’s popularity has waned in recent years.

Podcasting was a term coined in 2004 by ‘90s MTV VJ Adam Curry combining the terms iPod and broadcasting.

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, “It is the digital recording of a radio broadcast and similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player.”

Not since blogging has a technology seemed so unexpected and widely adopted. Podcasting offers people a medium to express their ideas through a computer and Internet connection. And thanks to the accessibility of Apple’s iTunes store, it has become a new route for both established and newbie broadcasters to let their voices be heard by a wider audience. In fact, some have actually made podcasting a lucrative profession with the likes of movie director and screenwriter Kevin Smith and his own growing empire of internet-based programs.

On the local front, a popular podcast run by makeup artist Jake Galvez and stylist Matt Gozun is Becky Nights, a show focused on LGBT topics, celebrity musings and fashion talk. If you’re for the more non-celebrity based discussion, one notable alternative is a web-based talk show called Urban Exchange.

Urban Exchange or UrbanEx is a program started by three friends from the Ateneo Debate Society: Vinny Tagle, Leloy Claudio and Fabian Mangahas. The three produced their very first podcast episode on a whim one night.

What started as a way to spice up a blog they were writing together but with no prior experience in broadcasting has since become a dynamic platform to discuss the week’s highlights and low points.  

Patterned after acclaimed NPR (America’s National Public Radio) podcasts and Slate.com’s Culture Gabfest, UrbanEx distinguishes itself as a venue to attract progressive, urbane and intelligent conversation with a particular Pinoy spin.

One listen to an episode and you will realize that the program is geared towards a very opinionated and intellectually curious niche. One of their key audiences is Filipino professionals based abroad who want to listen in to a typical coffee shop talk in Manila.

When asked how they decide on topics for an episode, Vinny replies that they consume a lot of media so if there’s something that they pick up, they forward the topics to each other via e-mail and discuss if they can talk about them. Fabian adds that they typically do not discuss topics that have been extensively dealt with by the press and social media.

No topic is considered “non-kosher” since the three have touched on Rebecca Black, Christopher Lao, ‘90s nostalgia and men’s fashion to a more divisive debate on the Reproductive Health Bill, worldwide financial issues and socialism in Europe.

A recent discussion led by Leloy on the occupation of Palestine brought about heated discussion with some people from the Israeli Embassy in the Urban Exchange Facebook page.

A few weeks ago, I joined them on an episode and found the chemistry of Vinny, Fabian and Leloy palpable and engaging, which can be heard from their lively chatter over the air.

One fan of UrbanEx likened the discussion to “overhearing the conversation of the coolest gay table in a coffee shop” while another listener christened Urban Exchange “Manila’s version of NPR.”

I asked the three who were their dream guests and Vinny said he’d love to have Pinoy film luminaries Mike De Leon and Peque Gallaga on the show, Fabian wishes they could have artist Bjork and economist Paul Krugman on the show while Leloy would love to interview social activist Naomi Klein.

As for UrbanEx’s future, all three would love to see an increase in their Facebook “likes” and subscribers as well as become a staple for progressive Filipino podcast listeners. 

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To download the Urban Exchange Podcast: http://urbanexchange.podomatic.com/entry/2011-09-07T20_44_53-07_00

Join the discussion at their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Urban-Exchange-Podcast/166770396703752

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Grace Velasco blogs at http://divasoria.ph