UK Podcasters Association

The UK Podcasters Association was founded in 2006 to protect podcasters' rights, and promote podcasting. The association was dissolved at the end of 2009 after three years of prominent and successful activity, during a time when the media landscape changed completely.

One of UKPA's major achievements was to put podcasting on the wider stage, establishing podcasting as a high quality option for media producers in radio, television, print and online, competing directly with established media for audiences.

During this disintermediated revolution, millions of people turned away from mainstream media formats and began to create and share in unprecedented ways. As new opportunities emerged, so did legislation. The UKPA's chair and trustees decided it made good sense for podcasters and media makers to join forces with other podcasting groups and like-minded organisations to ensure that the rights of the many were not sidelined by panicking old media, vested interests and the paid political lobby.

Originally set up in response to licensing and legislative concerns, the UKPA was actively involved in protecting podcasters' rights from the outset. Lobbying the World Intellectual Property Organisation in Geneva, working with the Open Rights Group and the EFF in 2006 we succeeded in preventing the Broadcast Treaty from including podcasting - an outcome which would have had devastating effects on podcasting worldwide.

UKPA members also made the first concerted attempt in the UK to raise awareness in UK government about podcasting, promoting it's value as both a social freedom and an important and fast-developing part of the digital economy.

Whilst believing it was vital to have a voice in any future legislation which affected podcasting, UKPA became an organisation which did much more than lobby, having become a dynamic group which included businesses, freelancers, as well as podcast enthusiasts and private individuals.

The UKPA at its height represented more than half of the 800 independent podcasters and podcast businesses in the UK, as well as major publishing corporations and broadcast media companies. UKPA relied on member subscription and voluntary donations for our funding, and members' involvement for our success. In September 2006, members set the subscription at £3 per month for private podcasters, and £120 per year for professional organisations, institutions, and commercial companies. Full members vote on any major changes to the organisation, help to develop community strategies and share research and other data.

UKPA members enjoyed preferential rates if they used the AIM podcast licence. UKPA developed Creative Commons podcast licences specific to UK Law. UKPA supported the international Open Metrics initiative.

UKPA Trustees

Founders and Trustees of UKPA were:

Dean Whitbread (Chairman) Mark Crook (Secretary) and Paul Nicholls (Treasurer)

Affiliations

UKPA was affilliated with PodRepBod in Ireland, Podcastverband in Germany, Swecasters in Sweden, and Asociacion Podcasting in Spain.

UKPA was a member of the Association of Online Publishing.