Rocketboom founder Andrew Baron hopes that his new video podcasting studio will be less about advertising and more about creating interesting shows:

Abby Corps is about enabling content creators by building community.

When the emphasis is shifted towards supporting great quality content and the options for monetizing that content remain open to outside partnerships and community support (as well as our own in-house options), the health of the organization and thus the quality of the content can continue to grow in the most natural direction.

As with Rocketboom, there is no need for Abbey to compete against anyone. When there are so many good support services like YouTube, Revver, GoogleVideo, Blip.tv, Podtech, Dotsub, TiVo, iTunes, Akimbo, Federated Media, Datagram, MoveDigital – it’s silly to isolate yourself. One show may work great on YouTube and another one may not work there at all. One show might enjoy a wikia wiki and another might have it’s own.

There is no one answer and there is no umbrella that has it all.

Thus Abbey is not intended to be a brand network for shows, it’s a creative studio for people.

Baron is using his blog to trickle out information about his plans for Abbey Corps.

Last year, we brought you the news that Santa was podcasting. Like a lot of podcasters, though, the man with the bag is very busy, and his show appeared to have podfaded shortly after the holidays.

Now, it looks like Santa’s podcast is back from the dead. He’s posted several new episodes covering North Pole security, Rudolph’s adventures and more.

Note: Santa’s podcast is a little on the saccharine side, so it may only be appropriate for true believers.

Mazda Motors UK has announced that all six models in the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe range will feature an equipment upgrade for 2007, featuring both iPod connectivity and an Apple iPod Nano as standard.

“We are delighted to announce this upgrade for the 2007 Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe,” said Rob Lindley, Managing Director Mazda Motors UK. “Demand for this new model is very strong and will be boosted further by equipping every Roadster Coupe with both iPod connectivity and an Apple iPod Nano as standard.

The Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe is the first vehicle in the Mazda range to benefit from this new iPod technology as standard equipment. The connection is located in the glovebox and the iPod can be operated using the steering-wheel mounted audio controls. Owners can play their favourite tunes from their iPod playlist through the car’s audio system, though the audio display will not show the artist or track name. The system is compatible with Apple iPods only, not with other MP3 players.

Digg has introduced a new option for podcasters that are concerned that Digg’s new Podcast section, introduced Monday, will steal their site traffic and ad revenue:

Some of you podcasters have asked whether we can give better exposure to your own web sites on Digg’s pages. As you know, Digg lets you play audio and video podcasts right on the Digg web site. That’s a great way to give your site exposure, and we always play the program directly from your servers, so you can keep track of your stats.

But we know that some podcasters may not want Digg’s ads displayed next to their material as it plays. I understand, because I’m a podcaster myself. I produce the Creative Commons-licensed BayCHI Podcast, and I consider myself an advocate of free culture. So I’m sensitive to how CC-licensed material is displayed by sites like Digg.

Out of respect for the work of my fellow volunteers who organize the BayCHI programs, I’ve asked Digg to display a “Listen at Podcast Site” button that jumps to BayCHI’s completely non-commercial web site, where we provide our own “Play” button. Check it out!

If you’re the producer of a podcast and want Digg to direct Diggers to your site, instead of playing your podcast directly on Digg, simply email podcasters@digg.com and we’ll hook you up.

This is smart move that should help balance the benefits that Digg offers – increased exposure – with the reality that Digg is competing for your podcast’s community. Instead of making this an opt-in option, though, it should be standard for all podcasts.

Rocketboom founder Andrew Baron has announced that he is partnering with Jeff Pulver to create a new video podcasting network, Abbey Corps. According to Baron, the new network will be a competitive alternative to Podshow and Podtech, two podcasting startups.

“Jeff Pulver and I have co-founded a new studio network,” writes Baron at his blog Dembot.

“Since Rocketboom began, the biggest, most important step of my independent career has been made.”

Baron hasn’t revealed many other details yet, but he thinks that his approach will be “a much better business than Podshow or Podtech.”

MTV today announced the launch of Bananas, an MTV-branded mobile content subscription service.

MTV’s Bananas is a cross-carrier, direct-to-consumer service that features exclusive content from MTV, MTV2 and mtvU including material from hit shows such as Laguna Beach, The Real World, and The Hills.

Bananas offers two tiers of service, each delivering an array of content from MTV programming as well as music ringtones from major record labels. Subscribers can download music-related content as well as sound-bites, cast photos, graphics, ringtones and wallpapers from popular current programs and older shows, such as Beavis & Butt-head.

The newsroom comedy video podcast Goodnight Burbank has a special Christmas episode this week.

Find out what happens behind the scenes after Gordon Winston-Smythe and Kelly Jones (that’s “honess”) sign off.

What do you get when you mix Amanda Condgon, body oil and video chat?

Starring Amanda Congdon, a new video blog, featuring the video blogger and former Rocketboom host scheduled, to debut today on Blip.tv. The show is one of the first video blogs to debut with the support of major sponsors, Dove Cream Oil Body Wash and Paltalk, a video chat community.

“More than anything else, I consider myself a videoblogger, and these sponsorships are evidence that the world is continuing to take notice of our community,” said Amanda Congdon.

“This is a turning point for both videobloggers and the advertising industry,” said blip.tv COO Dina Kaplan. “It’s great to see top brands like Dove and Paltalk pave the way by tapping into the uniquely loyal audience of a videoblogger like Amanda Congdon.”

As part of the sponsorship, Congdon will participate in live online video chats powered by Paltalk.

Dove is sponsoring the videoblog to promote a contest inviting people to create a 30-second advertisement for Dove Cream Oil Body Wash. The winning spot will air during this year’s Academy Awards and the winners will be flown to a private viewing party in Los Angeles. Congdon has set up a wiki where viewers will be able to work together to create a script for a Dove Cream Oil ad that Amanda will shoot and star in herself.

Roman Catholic Cardinal Sean O’Malley already calls himself a blogger. But now O’Malley is delving further into new media with a video podcast of his Christmas message to the masses.

The podcasts — in English, Spanish and Portuguese — are part of a broader effort by the Boston Archdiocese to embrace new technology as a way to spread the church’s message.

O’Malley, a Capuchin Franciscan friar who has taken a vow of poverty and is a frequent critic of consumer culture, is emerging as an unlikely technology pioneer.

The cardinal’s first downloadable podcast messages will be available Christmas Eve at Boston Catholic Television’s revamped Web site, Catholic TV, at the iCatholic webpage. They will be followed by regular video messages from O’Malley starting in the new year.

Baptist for Women, a division of Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, has launched the new podcast series “Women’s Health Inside Out.” The ongoing series will address a variety of women’s health issues.

Baptist public relations coordinator Rhonda McRae said, “We find more and more people searching for health information via the Internet. We think podcasting is a great tool to make information from our clinical experts at Baptist available to women wherever they are, whenever they have time to listen.”

Baptist Women’s Health consultant Terri McCarver, RN, MSN, hosts the podcasts. Listeners also can suggest, via the Baptist website, topics they would like for McCarver to address in upcoming podcasts.