Yea Apple's podcast directory sucks, and sucks at a very deep level.
Apple's iTunes podcast directory is incredibly 1.0 and selfish, and denies the ecosystem that created it. Mike nails it here:
mmeiser blog: Apple threatening Podcast Ready over use of the term Pod: "With Apple all traffic is inbound, none outbound.
Bloggers and Podcasters everywhere are driving thousands and thousands of users to iTunes via thousands of inbound itunes links... I'm willing to bet we are THE number one driver of traffic to the iTunes store. I challenge you... who else is driving traffic to Apple? Apple is using YOU.
There is not a single permalink or linkback anywhere where our content is being watched and listened. Not one link in the media playback interface back to our own sites! There are plenty of links from the iTunes interface into the iTunes Store.. but no links to OUR websites... where we conduct OUR businss.. sell our content... or just discuss the podcast episode you've just listened to in iTunes.
I'd call it a slick bastardization of podcasters interest... but it's NOT slick. It's sickening... an outrage."