RAIN Notes: Wednesday, September 13
News
RAIN Notes: Tuesday, September 12
— Small-biz Victory (Acast)
— World’s Best Tailgate? (ESPN)
— Synthetic Personalities (Jacobs Media)
RAIN Notes: Monday, September 11
NPR adjusts to revenue realities with flat budget projections for -23/24
In the wake of whiplash change, calm fiscal waters appear to prevail at NPR. In a presentation of the public radio giant’s topline finances for fiscal 2022-2024, a small drop of 2.4% is projected for 2023. (The 023 fiscal year… Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Thursday, September 7
— Degrees (Kevin Bacon)
— End of a [Short] Era (NPR)
— Truly Artist Centric (Mark Mulligan)
Luminary opens select podcasts from walled garden; signs with Acast for distro & sales
Today we learn of a strategic partnership that brings podcast network Luminary together with global podcast platform Acast. Six Luminary exclusives will leave the walled garden for Acast’s open platform. Additionally, Acast will serve as Luminary’s monetization agent for those… Continue Reading
ABC signs Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast to rep podcast ads
ABC Audio announced today an exclusive, multiyear podcast advertising deal with Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. Ad buying and management platform AdvertiseCast will handle ad sales across ABC Audio’s entire portfolio in this exclusive deal. That includes productions in the ABC/Walt Disney Group partnership. Continue Reading
“It’s happening now.” Nielsen rocked by layoffs
New York-based audience measurement company Nielsen is undergoing a round of layoffs today, reportedly dismissing nine percent of its 15,000 employees. The action was presaged internally, as Nielsen employees shared apprehensions and reported today’s event on a public message board. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Friday, September 1
— Next (Lizzo Pollott)
— People Power (Jacobs Media)
— Funny With Purpose (Spotify)
NPR unifies divisions as Anya Grundmann departs; News & Programming = Content
In a corporate reorganization, NPR is unifying its news and programming divisions into one vertical stack: NPR content. In simultaneous news, SVP Anya Grundmann will leave the network at the end of the year. CEO John Lansing explains everything, and honors Grundmann, in a public post.
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Garth Brooks produces “Tailgate Radio” for TuneIn’s college football season
TuneIn, which has distinguished its network identity for years with sports content, has launched a new twist. Tailgate Radio launches today, meant to coincide with the start of the 2023 college football season. But it won’t carry any games; Tailgate Radio is a music station targeted to tailgate parties. It’s playing now; click for the link and more info. Continue Reading
Better Help continues dominating in monthly podcast ad spend (Magellan AI, July ranker)
In Magellan AI’s reckoning of the top podcast advertisers (by spend) in July, we see a lot of repetition from previous months. Eleven of the top 15 in previous month June landed on the July list again. And in June,… Continue Reading