Everydayweareexposedtoimages，videos，musicandnews．Inthisageofvisualandauralhyper-stimulation（视听刺激），themediumofradioismakingagreatcomeback．"We'reatthebeginningofagoldenageofaudio，"said

　　Every day we are exposed to images，videos，music and news．In this age of visual andaural hyper-stimulation （视听刺激），the medium of radio is making a great comeback．

　　"We're at the beginning of a golden age of audio，"said US-based podcaster AlexBlumberg in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald．In the last month alone，15percentof US adults listened to a radio podcast （播客）．These statistics，released by Edison

　　Research，show the successful evolution of traditional radio broadcasts to the present day'sdigital podcast format （格式）．The term"podcast"was invented in 2004，but the trend onlystarted gaining mainstream popularity in recent years．With the sharp increase in consumerdemand for smartphones and tablets，podcast sales have jumped．

　　The appeal of the podcast partly lies in its multiplatform delivery and on-demandcapabilities （功能）．You can listen during those extra minutes of the day when you'rewalking to the shops，waiting in a queue or riding the subway．Similar to television shows，podcasts are generally free to download and most offer new content every week．

　　Donna Jackson，22，Sydney University media graduate，listens to podcasts two or threetimes a week，via iTunes．"I listen while I'm wandering around the house doing somethingelse．It makes completing a boring task much more enjoyable…And it's an easy way ofkeeping in touch with what's going on in the rest of the world，"she said，"I mainly listen toBBC podcasts，but recently I've also been listening to This American Life and Serial．Theyhave a special skill to really draw you in．"

　　Unlike television and music，the audio format has the potential to create a deepimpression on readers．Blumberg says this owes to the podcast's ability"to create closerelationship and emotional connection．"Sydney University undergraduate Hazel Proust，majoring in social work and arts，agrees．"When you're listening，it feels as if the voice ofthe podcast's stor