The history of podcasts goes way back to the mid-20th century when some performers would do a radio show on the Internet and let people __21__ it so that anyone can listen to it at any time. __22__, podcasting took a long while to finally go viral in the generation. When the Internet started to be __23__ in the 1990s, it could only display words and pictures despite its many users around the world. Later, it became fast enough to play videos and music, and people started making their own online programs. Many amateurs started recording podcasts in their homes, and a few of them found small audiences. But podcasts truly __24__ when former TV and radio stars started their own shows online. The first well-known podcaster was Marc Maron. He began his show in 2009. Maron was already famous as a comedian and radio host, so he was able to attract famous guests. __25__ voicing his opinions on Maron’s show, President Obama instantly spurred many others to start their own podcasts. There are over 800,000 podcasts today. They are __26__ from sources like Apple and Spotify. Tiny Desk Concerts invites famous musicians to play songs in the host’s small office. How Stuff Works teaches people about science. In Taiwan, Froggy gives his own funny observations about society on his podcast and YouTube show. He gained __27__ large followers __27__ he was elected as a politician. He now serves in the Taipei government. These longer, deeper interviews make podcasts __28__. Guests on TV or radio often get interrupted or have short time limits. With podcasts, people get to hear interesting ideas in a completely different way. And most of the time they’re free.

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