Bartering plasma for instant income may no longer be a nagging necessity for the penniless.

Talkshoe.com, a Pittsburgh-based Web forum, is paying college students to host a podcast -- an audio broadcast distributed over the Internet.

For each podcast episode created, Talkshoe will pay $5 to students, plus an extra percentage each time someone views the podcast.

Other Web sites, such as youtube.com, allow podcasters to upload their clips for free, but this site is different because it will compensate the host, Talkshoe Vice President Mark Juliano said.

"This could really take off, especially since Talkshoe is paying you for your work," Mike Phipps (junior-materials, science and engineering) said.

An activity that has recently become a popular routine for the computer savvy, podcasting appeals to a wide audience, Juliano said.

It can be live or pre-recorded, a talk show or a discussion, and anyone can host, he said.

"Current hosts range from two [Pittsburgh] Steelers [players] down to just you and me," Juliano said.

More than 100 people can call in and ask questions or interact with the host via the accompanying chat room.

"It's interactive -- it's not just a monologue," Juliano said.

Skype, a free downloadable program for telephone calls, enables the voice chat over the Internet, so people can comment during the program.

Voice chat is also available over telephone, and soon voice-over-IP will make the process even easier.

The completed podcast is then available for download at Talkshoe's online directory and on iTunes.

Talkshoe will also pay a host for referring new hosts to its Web site.

The host will get paid an additional 25 percent of what the referred client makes.

Those not interested in hosting, Juliano added, can log on and listen to a number of podcasts, ranging from book clubs to business conferences.

Former Nittany Lion and NFL player Bill Contz hosts "A Lion's Roar" -- a weekly podcast dedicated to analyzing Penn State football.

If students want to download podcasts and they do not own an iPod, they can use one of the many iPods available for student use from Media and Technology Support Services (MTSS) in the Willard Building.

MTSS has recently ordered 60 new video iPods and microphone attachments to add to their collection, Bill Bishop, MTSS director, said.

"We have a nice selection of equipment," he said.

Juliano said college students are the perfect demographic for creating and listening to podcasts.

They are comfortable with the Internet and they can own and operate the latest technology, he said.

"There are a number of uses for this in a college setting, like group meetings or evenstudy sessions," he said, adding that students can create their own podcasts on any topic of their choosing -- majors, hobbies, sports or extracurricular activities.