CBS has announced that it will make 60 Minutes available as a free audio podcast on iTunes. CBS has previously made excerpts available as a podcast, but the move will mark the first time the show will be able to be downloaded in its entirety.

“60 Minutes is perfect for this kind of audio podcasting. Our broadcast has always been built on solid story telling, with or without the pictures,” said 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager. “We’ve been broadcasting an audio-only version of 60 Minutes on CBS News Radio for years with great success.”

CBS will make the podcast available on iTunes and CBSNews.com at 11 p.m. every Sunday, after the show airs on the broadcast network. The network will kick off the podcast when 60 Minutes begins its 40th season Sept. 23.

This announcement seems to be as tentative as ABC & NBC’s recent announcements. Why not make a bold move, and make 60 Minutes available as an ad-supported video podcast?