Newstalk 106-108 in Dublin, Ireland does a ton of on-demand broadcasting.  Its otherwise staid website is packed with audio — as every talk radio site should be.  Now the station is actually  making money on podcasting.  It recently sold custom-created podcasts to sponsors Heineken and Ford, and is hot on the trail of more download deals.

“Exclusive content podcasts allow the client to have exactly what they want, i.e. their own show,”  says Newstalk Sales Director  Cera Ward. “We tend not to give them full editorial control, however, they are happy their sports coverage will not be interrupted by any other topics, ads or promos.”

The podcasts are hosted by members of the Newstalk 106-108 sports staff along with prominent analysts from other media outlets.  Ward says the big-name commentators add credibility and boost client demand. The podcasts contain unique content that never airs on the radio station. The Heineken podcast was a preview of rugby’s Heineken Cup. The Ford podcast focused on soccer’s Champions League.

Does anybody listen?  Seems so.  According to Ward, Newstalk’s Champions League podcast is currently #2 overall on iTunes in Ireland — #1 in the sports category.

Key Point: These podcasts were not added-value.  They were sold as stand-alone products in a package that included a modest number of on-air promotional mentions. Another Key Point: Newstalk staffers get paid to produce the podcasts.

Ward says sports appears to be the most salable podcast content. She sees Ireland’s legal betting parlors as her next big prospect.  Podcasts, she explains, allow the oddsmakers sponsor sports content while avoiding the restrictions placed on their broadcast advertising by the Broadcast Authority of Ireland.