ABC News shifts overall podcast strategy to True Crime

ABC News, known in podcasting for its morning show Start Here and others, is reported to shift its overall podcast strategy to the TrueCrime genre. Liz Alesse, VP of audio at ABC News, is quoted saying, “True Crime resonates, and the audience just seems to have an appetite that knows no ends.”

Crime has been a driver of podcast awareness and listening since Serial launched in 2014.

The plan is reportedly to lean into existing podcasts, as well as the 20/20 newsmagazine. One example, as revealed by Hollywood Reporter, is 20/20: TheAfter Show, hosted by current anchor Deborah Roberts. The idea there is to take the listener behind the scenes of the TV production.

ABC’s current flagship morning news podcast, Start Here, hosted by Brad Mielke, is an important lynchpin in the new endeavor. RAIN News has confirmed that Mielke will continue with Start Here, while also expanding to a weekend edition called Start Here Weekend. He is also Managing Editor of both shows. (Brad Mielke has been a RAIN Summit keynoter.)

If all this seems like an ambitious stretch of existing staff, Alesse noted the network’s multiple departments reporting on stories collaboratively. “Because we’re telling these stories and we’re reporting out these stories as part of our mandate as a news organization, because we have this archive, I think it just gives us a natural advantage in the space.”

ABC’s current flagship morning news podcast, Start Here, hosted by Brad Mielke, is an important lynchpin in the new endeavor. RAIN News has confirmed that Mielke will continue as the host and managing editor of Start Here, which also recently expanded to a weekend radio product called Start Here Weekend.”