Podcasting the Intellectual

I've been checking out 'quality' podcasts - specifically those at Warwick Podcasts
The quality of the subject matter and guests on these debates is astounding. For example

• Steve Fuller battles it out against Jack Cohen on the Intelligent Design debate.
  
• Ian Stewart discusses his Discworld books and the relationship between science and science fiction.

These guys are big bugs in science and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the water lurk debates and explanations on a range of topics from modern politics to conservativism in the renaissance. There's something for everyone but personally I'd recommend the technology debate Technology Matters with Professor David Nye and the ID debate above

The closest comparator that I have heard to these podcasts would be highly researched radio programs such as Radio 4 documentary. They take subjects and go into a detail that you could never get away with on TV. That said podcasting is by nature non-professional and if we were being harsh it would be possible to draw attention to

• Absense of editorial balance
• Lack of editing
• A host notable for enthusiasm rather than radio manner
  

In terms of 'things being given away for free on the net' these are superb