My concerns with this podcast have to do with focus. Granted, I understand that this iTunes Store version is simply a "teaser" for their paid services, so I know that not all the content is available here.
However, there are some issues that really bug me every time I try to listen.
First, in almost every edition of the podcast, there is a cheeseball musical intro that lasts about 35 seconds. Extremely unprofessional. If I'm on the train or in the car, I don't have a free hand to skip it. It really is absolutely obnoxious, and it totally turns me off before the lesson even starts. You might say this is an irrelevant issue, but why does the podcast need this musical intro? It does nothing but to take away from my experience, and if they really want to be the "fastest, easiest, most fun way" to learn Russian, then that's a miss in all three categories.
Also, sometimes the hosts will talk about irrelevant stuff, and I lose focus instantly. Please, stay on topic!
One of the male hosts on the lower-level lessons has a very bad accent. I don't want to learn Russian from someone who clearly doesn't pronounce the words like the native speaker co-host. Worse, everything he says sounds sarcastic, like he doesn't care and would rather be somewhere else. It really turns me off. Please, stay professional!
The content itself is very good, though if the transcripts were ALWAYS downloaded with the podcast so I could follow along on the iPhone it would be better.
I love studying Russian, and I would consider signing up for their paid service, but these distractions keep me away.
