Google is reinventing a standard feature in smart speakers: the news update. Made famous by Amazon Echo’s “Flash Briefing,” Google’s version is invoked by “Play the news.” The initiative would bring the vast news collection capability of Google News into the voice activation realm. Continue Reading
Digital audio advertising company DAX announces today that it has landed an exclusive agreement to distribute and represent popular podcast Something You Should Know for OmniCast Media. The show is hosted by OmniCast co-founders Ken Williams and Mike Carruthers. Continue Reading
Apple owns an estimated 60% of podcast consumption. 2018 was the first year that the dominant distribution platform provided consumption metrics to producers. Accordingly, the company has release the top 25 most-downloaded podcasts of the year. Continue Reading
The Indian advertising market is projected to surge 46% between 2018 and 2021, according to research from Publicis Groupe’s media agency Zenith. Radio is participating in that projected growth, with an added note about digitization of radio, and across all categories. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio sent around a notice today that its house-curated Christmas lists are shareable via embed codes, meaning that they can be placed into websites. Click through to see (and hear) one in action. Continue Reading
Radio consultant and podcast producer Mark Ramsey is announcing today a new division of his Mark Ramsey Media company, focused on research and other services for Christian broadcasters. The effort is “built specifically to serve the unique needs of Christian broadcasters, both commercial and non-commercial.” Continue Reading
The acquisition of Triton Digital by E.W. Scripps has closed, the parent company announced this morning. First announced six weeks ago, the merger settles what has been an uneven path for Triton in 2018, as it adds an important piece to Scripps’ digital acquisition strategy. Continue Reading
Fox News Radio is adding three original podcasts to its slate of free-to-listen programs. The radio network archives many of Fox’s TV shows for on-demand listening, but those programs are maintained behind a Premium firewall. On the free side, the FOX News Radio page shows 21 shows. Continue Reading
Free podcast production and hosting service Anchor is introducing a new monetization plan for U.S. podcasters. Anchor Sponsorships is an automated service which matches advertisers with podcasts, and invites podcasters to create host-read breaks and insert them in their new and past shows. It’s an interesting long-tail play for both podcasters and brands. Continue Reading
Magellan has released its October ranking of top podcast advertisers, noting two new participants in the list: security company ADT, and stock-trading app Robinhood. The monthly report highlight the top 15 podcast advertisers in the 2,000 podcasts tracked by Magellan. Continue Reading
Pandora has released a slew of holiday 2018 playlists, representing an imaginative, sometimes amusing sweep of holiday joy and stress. There is also a special Pandora Premium promotion set for Dec. 1 in the Google Android store. Continue Reading
The Washington Post is joining an increasingly crowded field of daily news podcasts, and has chosen to enter its new show, Post Reports, in the late afternoon slot. The show drops December 3, with T. Rowe Price as launch sponsor. Eight staffers reportedly are assigned full-time to the show’s production, including five newly hired audio producers.