MUMBAI:Yahoo will shut down its podcasting service on 31 October 2007."Today we`re planning some changes that also have our user and customer experiences in mind," reads a message on Yahoo`s corporate blog from entertainment and video head Vince Broady, entitled, "Finding Focus in Hollywood. "We are streamlining the structure of one portion of our Santa Monica presence - our entertainment division - with a vision of offering a more integrated entertainment experience. That means we`ll be creating more synergies between our music, games, movies, TV, and omg! properties, making them more personal and engaging for entertainment hounds."

Broady`s message says his company will be refocusing its attentions on helping studios and music labels to get their content online, especially for streaming videos. That may translate into free or streaming services, as opposed to subscription services. This afternoon, no message similar to the one appearing on Yahoo Podcasts appeared on the company`s Yahoo Music Unlimited page.An Associated Press story late today cited a study by ratings service Hitwise as having rated Yahoo`s podcast service as its least trafficked single property, with visitors declining at an annual rate of 20 per cent.Last May, Yahoo shut down its auction sites for US and Canadian users, in a move believed to have been prompted in part by a Hitwise study at that time rating the auction service among its least trafficked.