Hours after ABC News announced its podcasting plans, NBC News has unveiled its intentions to "deliver hourly updates and select portions of its network and cable news programming via podcast beginning in June." Here's the press release.

It sounds like NBC will be taking MSNBC.com's video webcasts and making the audio available for download: Hourly news updates, "White House Beat" and "Techwatch" will be podcasted, along with highlights from MSNBC's primetime programs (including Countdown's #1 story).

NBC began testing its podcasting capabilities earlier this month, the press release says. MSNBC.com GM Charlie Tillinghast says it is a "natural next step" for the news org: "While other news networks will attempt podcasting, none have the resources of NBC News or MSNBC.com's reach and impact online."