Yahoo just launched a comprehensive podcasting search, directory and listening service called Yahoo Podcasts (URL will be working in the next couple of hours). John Furrier at Podtech.net nailed this story and has posted an exclusive podcast with Geoff Ralston, Yahoo’s Chief Product Officer.

John has also posted the transcript of the interview below the podast link. Geoff has some interesting things to say:

Geoff Ralston - Yahoo’s Chief Product Officer:

We want this to be as open as possible on both ends. We want to work with every device - however a user of Yahoo podcasts wants to consume their podcast, wherever they want to do it, whatever device, and on whatever jukebox. We’re going to work with them (jukeboxes) and we’re going to work with as many standards as possible using standard pcast format to integrate with a jukebox. You can listen to podcasts right on your computer, or you can listen to it right on the web itself. On the other end, we want to be as comprehensive as possible. If you have a podcast we’re going to find you, and if we haven’t found you then you can come to our website and give us your RSS feed and we’ll get it into our index within 24 hours.

I spoke to John to get more information. He says that Yahoo will be issuing a press release shortly.

It’s very interesting and very cool that Yahoo did an exclusive podcast prior to issuing a press release. Right on!

UPDATE: Yahoo Podcasts is now live.