Podcasting can be a powerful tool in the arsenal of entertainers and media personalities who increasingly have the ability to make it on their own.

Proof of that comes in the form of American entertainer Adam Carolla, who launched his own podcast on February 24 after CBS radio cancelled his show.

Thanks to his contract, Carolla is reportedly unable to go back on radio through the end of the year and CBS is paying him quite well until then. But not one to sit around and cash checks, Carolla threw up a basic WordPress blog, signed up for iTunes and started a podcast.

In its first day, his podcast was downloaded more than 250,000 times. Within the first week, it has hit the 1m mark. It's now the #1 podcast on iTunes. As Ryan Spoon notes on his blog, this is quite impressive. With no marketing, a simple setup and no out-of-the-ordinary delivery/distribution deals, Carolla's early success begs the question, "Does he even need radio anymore?" It's one that he was prepared to ask himself. In his first podcast, he indicated that he'd look to expand out his venture once his CBS contract expires if it proved successful.