Free Government Information (FGI)

Podcasting is a way to deliver audio content to portable players. Despite the "Pod" in the name, you do not need an iPod to listen to the downloaded files.

An increasing number of governments and elected officials are finding podcasting a useful channel to inform their citizens. While not endorsing podcasts as the ultimate channel of government information (Do you want to hear the statistical abstract podcast?), FGI wishes to commend the governments and elected officials below for their innovation in communication. If you know of a government podcast not listed here, please send the URL where the podcast can be found to dnlcornwal AT alaska.net.

If a state or federal entity has an one-stop podcast listing, only that page will be listed. Otherwise we will list all podcasts for that entity separately.

Federal Podcasts

• USA.gov Federal Podcasts listing - Official listing of federal podcasts by subject.
• Elected Officials
  • President's Weekly Radio Address
  • House
    • House Democrats Podcast Feed (XML)
    • House Republican podcast feed (XML)
    • Committee on Government Reform - Democrats
  • Senate
    • Senator Barack Obama's weekly podcast

• Federal Agencies
  • Agriculture
    • Economic Research Service Podcast - Audio items on a number of agricultural economic topics.
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission
    • Weekly Recall Review - 3-5 minute "audio recording summarizing recalls and other product safety news"
  • Department of Defense
    • Air Force:
      • Around the Air Force podcast
      • Edwards Air Force Base Podcasts
      • NORAD Podcasts
    • Army
      • Army Racing Podcast - Join the US Army as they race the NASCAR circuit. RSS Feed
    • Navy Podcasts - Service wide podcast portal. Features Navy/Marine Corps Radio News - A two-minute recap of current events for and about The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.
    • Pentagon Channel Podcasts - Daily newscasts from America's military.
  • Census Bureau
    • Al Día: Programa radial producido por la oficina del Censo - XML/Podcast Feed
    • Profile America, a daily feature from the Census Bureau - XML/Podcast Feed
  • Energy
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory Podcast
  • Health and Human Human Services
    • Aids.gov Podcast - Broadcast since February 2007, mix of news and discussions about AIDS.
    • Daily HealthBeat Tip - "Launched on July 11, 2005, this service provides health promotion and disease prevention tips 5 days a week in audio and text formats." Site encourages broadcasters to use tips with attribution. Probably good for podcasters.
  • Interior
    • CoreCast from US Geological Survey - Earth Science oriented podcasts from 5 to 20 minutes in length.
  • NASA Podcasting Page - Links to several audio AND video podcasts of education and science programs at NASA.
  • National Archives
    • Presidential Libraries Uncovered Podcast - From the website, "Each month, we broadcast historical clips from the Libraries' collection, ranging from serious policy discussions to conversations with family members. Listen to the voices of Presidents Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. We'll add a new podcast often." A feed is also available.
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Physics Laboratory. - These MP4 podcasts contain an audio recording of the seminars, plus copies of the slides used by the speakers, synchronized approximately with the audio track. Currently one must subscribe to this podcast through the Apple iTunes store using keyword NIST.
  • National Library of Medicine - MedlinePlus: NLM's Director's Comments - Weekly highlights of What's New in MedlinePlus.gov are narrated by the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Director.
  • NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) Podcasts
    • National Weather Service
      • Podcast Forecasts for southern New Mexico and far west Texas
  • Office of National Drug Control policy - Brief stories relating to drug abuse and control efforts.
  • SAMHSA Radio Newsline Podcast - 60-90 second public affairs reports and substance abuse news segments.
  • State Department
    • International Information Programs - Speeches from Secretary of State and other officials.
    • Rewards for Justice podcast feed - Daily roundup of rewards being offered for information regarding international terrorists. (XML)
  • Smithsonian Institution Podcast Portal- Variety of audio and video podcasts on arts, science, history and more.
  • Voice of America - Portal page offering a variety of news and culture programs. Offers a "Special English" news podcast which uses a limited vocabulary of 1,500 words. Broadcasters read at a slower pace than standard English.

District of Columbia Podcasts

• Mayor's Weekly Press Conferences
• Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency - Brief video programs for the public on crime, criminal offenders and the criminal justice system. Some episodes in Spanish.

State Podcasts

• Arkansas
  • Gov Beebe's Radio Messages Podcast
• California
  • Governor's Weekly Address - Intro page provides detailed instructions on using podcast software.
  • Assemblyman (State House) Kevin McCarthy
  • Assemblyman (State House) Russ Bogh
  • Local Governments
    • City of Gardena Podcasts
    • County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health, Recreational Water Program Water Quality Podcast Report
• Connecticut
  • DMV Podcasts Page - XML Feed
• Delaware
  • State of Delaware Podcast Feeds - Includes podcasts on history and saving energy.
• Florida
  • Environmental Health Preparedness Podcast by Division of Environmental Health Preparedness
  • Local Governments
    • City of South Daytona, Florida City Council Meetings Podcast
• Georgia
  • Georgia Senate Podcasts
• Indiana
  • Indiana Department of Education Podcasts
• Illinois - Podcast portal - Currently includes Gov, Lt. Gov and Historic Preservation Agency podcasts.
• Kansas
  • Department of Education Podcasts
• Kentucky
  • Podcast Portal - Includes feeds for Governor and General Assembly.
• Massachusetts
  • Governor's Podcasts - Podcast Feed (XML)
  • Mass Moments - History minute podcasts supported by the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.
• Michigan
  • Gov. Jennifer Granholm's Weekly Radio Address - Podcast Feed (XML)
  • Local Governments
    • City of Warren Audio Podcasts
    • Oakland County, Michigan Government News and Information Podcast
• Minnesota
  • Governor Pawlenty's Podcasts
  • State House Standing Committee Podcasts
  • Minnesota House Members - Majority of house members podcast. See Rep Bruce Anderson for example.
• Mississippi
  • MS Arts Commission's MS Arts Hour - "The show features interviews with Mississippi artists, musicians, craftspeople, and others involved in arts and culture from around the state."
• Missouri
  • Governor Podcasts - Subscribe via iTunes
• Nebraska
  • Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service Interchange podcast
  • Podcasting Across Nebraska - Not a podcast itself but a state program aimed at encouraging local government podcasts.
  • Local
    • Lincoln Board of Education podcasts
    • South Sioux City Cardinal Cast . Can also subscribe via iTunes
• Nevada
  • Local Governments
    • Yucca Mountain Podcasts from Clark County Gov't
• New York
  • Local Governments
    • New York Police Department Daily News - Five to ten minute segments on traffic closures, interviews of NYPD personnel, and other news about the NYPD.
    • Long Island Power Authority
• North Carolina
  • Local Governments
    • Guilford County Sherrif's Beat Podcasts
• Ohio
  • OH DNR Ohio Outdoor Notebook Radio Spots - Minute podcasts designed to be used in radio shows.
• Oklahoma
  • Outdoor Oklahoma - This is a video podcast of a weekly TV show produced by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. It appears to be archived on iTunes.
• Oregon
  • Senate Republican Leader Podcast
• South Carolina
  • South Carolina Educational Television Commission ETV Podcasts - Mix of NPR feeds with locally produced, SC focused programs.
• Tennessee
  • Governor Bredesen's Podcast
  • Local Governments
    • Memphis City Schools Podcasts - includes podcasts on world languages, arts and a "out of print" podcast.
• Texas
  • Attorney General Podcasts
  • TxDOT-Tyler District Podcast
• Utah
  • Governor's Office of Economic Development
• Virginia
  • Governor Podcasts
• Washington
  • House Democrats
  • Senate Democrats
  • Senate Republicans
• Wisconsin
  • Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) Podcasts - Mostly summaries of LRB publications on various public policy issues or elements of the Wisconsin constitution. All of the podcasts are 5-7 minutes. The Legislative Reference Bureau is the first WI agency to produce podcasts.