Podcasting gains in popularity among U.S. web users

Podcasts are gaining a foothold among U.S. web users, according Nielsen/NetRatings. The market research firm said today that 6.6 percent of the U.S. adult online population, or 9.2 million web users, have recently downloaded an audio podcast. Nielsen said 4.0 percent, or 5.6 million web users, have recently downloaded a video podcast. “These figures put the podcasting population on a par with those who publish blogs, 4.8 percent, and online daters, 3.9 percent,” the firm notes. “However, podcasting is not yet nearly as popular as viewing and paying bills online, 51.6 percent, or online job hunting, 24.6 percent.”