is available in Podcast form, albeit with shortened musical inserts for the usual tedious 'rights' reasons, which allows me to consume them in a leisurely fashion, as is my wont, without subjugating myself to the broadcast schedule.

'Great Lives' is similarly available.

Jazz Library if you are at all interested in Jazz. Just the reminiscences of the people Allyn Shipton interviews can be great, warm, radio in their own right.

And I like composer of the week-the Reithian end of R3 which seems more about appreciation than the criticism (which sometimes jars for me).

The Vinyl Cafe stories on the CBC radio podcasts from Canada are good. They usually feature live performances from local bands but the best bits are the stories read by Stuart McLean about his fictional character Dave, his family and friends.
They are free to download though iTunes.

but no-one I know seems interested:

On itunes there is a podcast which is six episodes long and is a complete recording of John Lennon's Rolling Stone interview with Jann Wenner in 1970. I love it because, apart from the fact that you recognise all the quotes that have been plundered from the interview over the years (Lennon was very verbose that day), it's uncut: so it's long and drifts off into other areas. Very conversational, and fascinating to hear: you feel as if you're sitting in the room with them.

But apart from constantly coming back to the above, I find it hard to move outside the holy trinity: The Word, Mayo and Kermode, and Adam and Joe (sadly on hiatus).

I dip into In Our Time now and again.

Frank Skinner - surprised to find myself enjoying this
11 O'clock Comics (er.. if you like comics, obv)
Fighting Talk is ok from time to time
Answer Me This - went through a phase of loving it but haven't listened for a while.
Also got a whole load of old time radio dramas - Agatha Christie, crime dramas and such.
Got a few Goon shows and I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue shows too.

I often go for weeks without listening to any music at all.

BBC - Start the week - people being clever and thoughtful

BBC & Guardian politics podcasts - really interesting especially now!

In our time, as already mentioned

Lucy Kellaway - FT podcast - amusing sideways look at modern business
"Stuff from the B side" - one I just discovered - sort of obscure music stuff, like how digeridoos work, why heavy vinyl is better, sttory of the Grand Old Opry, why is the Jaws theme scary, are vinyl records killing the CD, etc. Essential for music obsessives.

I also lke the Home Recording Show which does what it says on the tin.

Stuart Maconie's freak zone I get but then don't listen to as the clips are so odd and short you just can't "get" what he is on about, though the Davy Graham show was excellent.

There have been several of these threads over the months so it may be useful to go back and look for some for suggestions not made here.
It's handy for someone to ask the question regularly though as things change. I don't think I've ever seen recommended "The Timewaster Podcasts" which is basically Robin Cooper being very silly but it makes me laugh out loud. The other one that I always enjoy is "Marsha Meets..." from XFM where she interviews a different comedian each time. She does her research so thoroughly that she often takes the guest aback and they tend to say things that they wouldn't elsewhere.

Oh, and if you're an Elvis Costello fan there is a little series of podcasts with him talking about his early years which is really good.

Simply the best programme on radio.

Comedy - just about anything from the BBC (Now Show, Adam and Joe and some others available as podcasts. For anything else get a copy of IPDL (just google it)- rips stuff off iPlayer in seconds.

Music - Word (of course), nothing else comes close

Tech - TWIT range of podcasts, PC Pro, Stuff Podcast for UK news

Footie - The Game (Times Online)

Anything else - you're on your own

EVERY BBC radio show can now be a podcast.

www. ner doft heh erd .com

is an interesting website I'd recommend even if it didn't contain what some say is the most invaluable pieces of software that a radio listener might ever need.

Its legitimacy may be open to dispute, and for that reason I'd suggest that you think twice before downloading it, but perhaps it's just another way of getting what you've already paid for in a way that is more convenient to you.

WYNC Radiolab - this is THE best podcast around. Making science not just accessible but magical, it is entertaining and mind expanding. It is edited really amazingly and treated almost like a piece of music.

This American Life - interesting true stories

The Moth and The Spark London - True stories told live

Marsha Meets - really candid interviews with comedians (mentioned above)

The Bugle - topical comedy

Current Geek - tech and geek stories

NPR Fresh Air - great interviews and reviews

On The Media (WNYC) - really great behind the media reports

MUSIC PODCASTS:

APM Sound Opinions
The Word (obviously)
Best Of Myspace
NPR: All Songs Considered

This weeks best documentaries:

Radio 4 Choice
Speecification
BBC World Service Documentary Archive

Quality genre short stories:

Escape Pod
Pseudopod
Podcastle

and then The Guardian, Radio 4, 6 Music, 5 Live, The New Yorker and The Economist all have a range of podcasts which I would suggest you going through and selecting what suits you. I like:

Guardian: Media Talk, Politics Weekly, Science Weekly, Tech Weekly, Film Weekly, Media Talk USA

Radio 4: Desert Island Disks, Start The Week, In Our Time, Saturday Review, Week In Westminster, Media Show, Womens Hour, Front Row Highlights, Feedback More Or Less, Infinite Monkey Cage (the last two haven't put out podcasts in a bit but I live in hope)

5 Live: Mayo and Kermode, 7 Day Sunday

6 Music: Adam and Joe, Collins and Herring

Economist: Special Report, The Week Ahead, Editors Highlights

The New Yorker: Out Loud, Fiction, Out Loud

(if you're a fan of collins and herring their BBC 6 show has a podcast and then there is also Herrings: As It Occurs To Me)

Football weekly (Grauniad)
The Game (Times)
Non-League football (BBC)
Football league (Coca Cola)
Excess baggage (BBC travel)
Music weekly (Grauniad)
Fighting talk (BBC)
Collings and Herrin
Answer me this
TMS (BBC)

.....will definitely give give this downloader thingy a go. Normally I have to record a 1 or 2 hour radio show off the iplayer if its not available as a podcast.

But you say this software can do the same in seconds??? How?

Havent got time to download now, kids are tired and hungry, will have to wait until tomorrow. Just a shame I find out about this just as the bank holiday w/e ends. Pah!!!

An Australian Podcast recorded in a Pub in South Melbourne infront of a crowd. Showing that a live WORD Podcast could work.

Guardian Football Weekly
Times The Game (Football)
Adam & Joe
Word
Mayo & Kermode
Off the Ball (Scottish football podcast)
Fighting Talk
This American Life
The Moth Podcast
Danny Baker

....nerdoftheherd website. That radio downloader is amazing.

I tried it and downloaded R2's pick of the pops. 2hour radio show downloaded in less than 10 minutes, in MP3 format. Slapped it into itunes, selected the "remember the position" in the options and loaded into my ipod. Listened to it this morning. Dale taking me through the top 20's from '73 and '81 on my journey into work. Great stuff.

Thoroughly recommended.