Darren Davis, the president of iHeartRadio for nearly eight years, and a near-30-year veteran of iHeartMedia, is formally leaving the company at year’s end. He will maintain an advisory role. We reminisce across the career milestones of a valued RAIN partner. Continue Reading
Leading branded content podcast company Pacific Content has fleshed out its platform, adding pre- and post-production service to legacy show production skill. We talked to the company to get details. Continue Reading
Jottings of Note
— Psychic Prowess? (Jason Brownlee)
— Toutes les Felicitations (AdsWizz)
— New Leash on Life (Gary Reisman)
As the beleaguered Tokyo Olympics get underway this week, with the opening ceremony scheduled for Friday, NBC Olympics is promoting its range of Olympics podcasts. The network’s emphasis is on its Apple Podcasts channel, where the shows are grouped. Click for details. Continue Reading
Online therapy service BetterHelp topped Magellan AI’s monthly list of top advertisers of June. BetterHelp was the biggest spender the previous two months as well, and we compare April, May, and June lists with a graphic illustrating unique appearances. ALSO: a fantastic animated visualization of the top podcast spenders over 12 months — must see. Continue Reading
In a landmark piece of bizdev for popular podcast Gastropod, the show is tying up with Eater, a Vox Media property. The Eater/Vox promotion and sales machinery will handle Gastropod‘s marketing, ad sales, and distribution. The announcement also promises “editorial collaborations and extensions.” It is not an acquisition; Gastropod remains independently owned. Continue Reading
Global podcast company Audioboom released its Q2 earnings this morning (London Stock Exchange), documenting record high revenue and a bit of profit (using adjusted EBITDA) — the first reported profit for the company. Click through for financials and comments from CEO Stuart Last. Continue Reading
Jottings of Note
— New Horizons (James O. Boggs)
— Mapping Radio’s Place (NuVoodoo)
— Bereavement (Mat George)
A 97-paragraph UK Parliamentary committee has issued a dense report which analyzes the British music streaming industry, educating lawmakers about how it works and recommending a “complete reset.” Two main thrusts: Criticism of labels, and recommendation of collective licensing as in the U.S. Continue Reading
Jottings of Note
— Money for Nothing (U.S. Copyright Office)
— Platform of Champions (Acast)
— Hopeful Return (Sonos & PRX)
The leading audio production trade group in the UK is petitioning the government to give tax relief to podcast production houses, following precedents in the movie, animation, children’s TV, videogames, theater, museum exhibition, and orchestra businesses. The idea is to reduce corporate taxes applied to podcast and audiobook production that meets certain criteria. Continue Reading
In 2019, 335,000 new podcasts were created, according to Listen Notes. As of today, 513,000 podcasts have started in 2021, far surpassing 2019’s benchmark year which saw more new podcasts than any previous year. Where are they? What languages? How many episodes? Where are they hosted? Click through. Continue Reading