Preparing for interview podcast is only ten seconds long

Have you tried:

* Deleting the.mp3 file and redownloading
* Flushing the cache in your browser (might be refered to as 'Delete Temproary Internet files' in the documentation)
* Downloading via a different connection (a friend's, internet cafe, library &c)
* A different piece of software (if you're trying to download through a browser try something like iTunes or RSSRadio)

A fairly common problem with repeatedly getting just part of a file is that your software caches a local copy so when you try to download it again it just goes back to the cache rather than to the original site. If the copy in the cache is incomplete or damaged then obviously every time you try to download it you'll get the incomplete or damaged version, and because you keep trying to download it the software keeps it in the cache (normally files are 'aged out') because it thinks it's an important file. Flushing the cache (deleting temporary internet files) will force the software to go back to the original site.

A lot of ISPs run their own cache (often called a Transparent Proxy) so if a number of their customers want the same file they can save bandwidth (which is expensive) by delivering it from a local cache rather than having to go to the original site. Again, if the cached copy is damaged or incomplete you're just going to keep getting that copy each time and the fact that you keep downloading the file will make the caching software think it's an important file that should be kept and not aged out. Using a different connection (which hopefully goes through a different ISP) should reduce the chance that you're hitting the same cache each time.

Browsers are generalist pieces of software, they aren't optimised to work with particular file types other than HTML files and, probably, graphics. Podcatchers like iTunes and RSSRadio are optimised for MP3 files so tend to 'know' more about them and are more likely to pick up and handle problems like incomplete files.

Stephen