The BBC certainly knows nothing about how to handle podcasts - there are hundreds of them worldwide, and various software has been developed which downloads them for you when new podcasts are released.
Have a bit of variety and download some from Canada or USA - the BBC idea is based on anything being available for a week or so (longer if they have a technical problem, or some items which are produced in association with others, such as a few O.U. series).
Others keep as many as possible online, some keep all of them online, so you can download podcasts created a year ago for some radio shows or independently made podcasts.
PRI PRI (Public Radio International) includes various BBC World Service material
eg World Book Club interviews, approx 1 per month back to 2007
Also "The World" (daily show in association with the BBC World Service and a Boston station - been going over 10 years - used to have Eddie Mair on from London end)
Plenty of other shows eg Whad'Ya Know, a 2 hour variety show with archives online of around 10 years (no these aren't strictly podcasts, but with a bit of cheap software you could play programmes and record them to make your own MP3s... sure, some American humour might not sink in but there are no similar shows on British radio these days, as far as I know.
Even with no podcast download software you can just download the MP3 files they list.
A second US network is [[http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php NPR] - National Public Radio - which carries daily news shows, plus interviews ("Fresh Air") and while the web site has features on food, I'm trying to remember which stations carry 'A Chef's Table' or similar sounding programme. There's even a couple of Italian guys who answer questions from listeners in a witty manner, on their show 'Car Talk' - I have sometimes listened, and I don't even have a car, nor interest in them - but hearing about the extremes of climate, whether on Car Talk or a show on gardening, makes me consider how much variety the show hosts are expected to cope with!
Something I can personally recommend is "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me" (US news quiz)
CBC from across Canada
Podcast Alley all sorts of topics, independently made, language guidelines "nil" (so a few are not ideal family listening, if someone decides to let off steam about a topic dear to them).
If you have a PC, then a bit of cheap or free software can download podcasts for you overnight (or whenever) - see a list here.
I have used "Juice" (previously known as iPodder though I ran it on Windows). Have moved PCs around and the PC with Juice on currently not online, but will be getting this PC set up ASAP as you have rekindled my interest in podcasts (I go for mostly IT-related).