PodShow, the company started by Adam Curry and Ron Bloom to help commercialize podcasting, has acquired Podcast Alley, a grassroots directory that played a big role in stimulating the popularity of the medium, according to Silicon Beat (via MediaBuyerPlanner). PodShow promotes podcasts and finds sponsors for them; it also helps mainstream companies produce and distribute podcasts. The announcement comes less than a month after the news that PodShow received $8.85 million in funding from Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia.

Podcast Alley is a directory of podcasts, and for aspiring podcasters success is defined as a spot in Podcast Alley's top 10 list. The Dawn and Drew Show, for example, which recently joined the PodShow Network, are at the moment number six in Podcast Alley's September Top 10.

The acquisition brings together two podcasting pioneers, with PodShow's Curry considered by some as the originator of podcasting, and Podcast Alley one of the key players in a still-young industry.