There's more to this than meets the eye.
I'm going to take the opportunity to explain the whole thing in some detail for the benefit of both yourself and anyone else who may have similar issues to you. Bear with me.
If you were subscribed to his three-hour show in iTunes, I suspect that it may have been an unofficial re-publishing of his programme, which the Rush Limbaugh organisation has found and had removed - see {3.} below. Now, you have perhaps subscribed to his official outlet, which requires a payment, which you have yet to make. I'll leave it to you to decide.
As far as I can tell, the Rush Limbaugh show is available using the following methods. It's important to understand the differences between them:
- The Rush Limbaugh Morning Update: This is a Podcast*, found in the iTunes/Podcast store. This is a two to three minute preview to his daily programme, not the full show. It is free to download (which is what I expect from a "Podcast"). I can find this same show in Podbean, which is an alternative podcatcher* to iTunes.
- The (official) Rush Limbaugh Show (note the difference in title): this is the authorised full show, in three, one-hour segments. I cannot find it in the iTunes Podcast store or on Podbean, but I can find it through his website. My conclusion is that this is not a Podcast.
- I followed the links on Limbaugh's website (as far as I could) and found the link to a page that he has titled "Podcast Center". That page lists all the recent shows, as the three, one-hour segments per show (as I detailed in {2.} above). Every link on that page takes me to a sign-on page, that he has headed as the "Podcast Center". Despite repeated reference to "podcast", these episodes are not Podcasts (see definition, below). They are MP3 files, that you can download yourself, once you pay.
- To access this material from his website, via that sign-on page (mentioned in {2.1}, you pay the Rush Limbaugh organisation a fee (subscription) which then gives you access to his full programme, as well as extras, but directly from his website. Once you pay, the shows can be downloaded as MP3 files, or streamed (listened to online as it plays out), but only by signing up to an account with the Rush Limbaugh website. I repeat, this is not a Podcast*.
- The (unoffical) Rush Limbaugh Show Podcast (same title as the official version): this is the same three, one-hour segments of each of his morning programmes, made available as a Podcast, by someone doing so without permission. From what I can tell, Rush Limbaugh hunts out these unofficial sources and has them removed on grounds of copyright infringement.
- The official Rush Limbaugh App: (available on both iOS and Android): made available by Premier Radio Networks. The app is free to download, but has in-app purchases, which is probably going to be a similar payment system to the one on his website. I can't tell from the app description whether episodes are automatically downloaded or whether you have to manually select each one and tap a download button. Again, see the definition of Podcasts, below.
- Any unofficial Rush Limbaugh Podcast app, including variations on his name: (I've seen some in the Android store this morning, so even though I cannot find any in the Apple app store, that doesn't mean that there never are any). The Android users complain that the app's content is not updated. I can guess why.
software (either for a full computer, or an app for a smartphone or tablet) that has a facility for you to subscribe (for free) to a programme that has been made available as a Podcast.
Video or audio made available and downloaded as a Podcast, through a Podcatcher, is a Podcast.
iTunes downloads audio Podcasts Audio in MP3 format. This is the usual format for all audio Podcasts, wherever they originate from.
A Podcatcher may be able to stream audio or video to the app, and can be loosely described "a Podcast" as it is sourced through the Podcatcher. Note though, that it was delivered to you as a stream, not a Podcast, even if it was in MP3 format
A Podcatcher may be free to download or it may have a one-time cost to buy. Once purchased, it should not require payment for publicly available Podcasts.
I propose that this should now be known as an "Open Podcatcher", which is one that can download any publicly available Podcast, using the Podcast's Podcast Feed URL.a delivery system (via a Podcatcher). This is a method of delivering audio or video material to (and only to) your podcatcher, automatically. You subscribe to a Podcast series (for free) and your Podcatcher (app or programme) periodically checks to see if any new episodes are available for the Podcast to which you are subscribed. If there are, the podcatcher automatically downloads the episodes for you.
Audio or video played at source and sent to your phone, tablet or computer as it plays. It can be played on your device while it is still in the process of being sent to your device (downloaded). If there is a delay on the internet, the material may be subjected to buffering, while your device waits for the rest of the material to be delivered to you. (Streaming is not the same sort of downloading as defined below. Note the difference).
Different to streaming. Audio or video sent from somewhere on the internet, to your computer usually at your request. Play cannot begin until the complete file has been downloaded. (Note also, that a Podcast is downloaded, but "as a Podcast", not as "a download".)
Different to the Open Podcatcher: it operates as a delivery system in the same way as an Open Podcactcher, but it can only obtain and make available to the user:
material from certain providers, for example, a specific programme or programmes. The app I mentioned in {4.} above, can be considered a closed Podcatcher if it only makes Rush Limbaugh, or Premier Radio Networks material available
publicly available Podcasts, but only after an in-app payment for the particular show
I already know that there are people who will take issue with my definitions, particularly "Podcast". But it really is quite simple; Podcasting is a delivery system (that can automatically retrieve audio and video material on your behalf). Anything else is not "a Podcast", or "Podcasting".
Oh - and Apple do not own, and did not originate, the term "Podcast".
