RAIN Notes: Thursday, July 1
Jottings of Note
— Sitting in the Chair (Bill Wilson / NAB)
— Advising (Gary Krantz / Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips)
— Bilingual Research (Edison Research)
News
“Smartless” podcast goes to Amazon Music for $80M reported. Not entirely exclusive.
The rights to the Smartless podcast, a comedy/celebrity interview show hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, have been acquired by Amazon. The reported price for the three-year deal is $80-million, and Amazon will deploy a windowed exclusivity model, starting August 1. Continue Reading
Podcast Radio unleashes movie-theater ad promoting the all-podcast UK station
We got a note from Podcast Radio, the all-podcast DAB station in the UK, revealing a newly produced video ad. The spot, produced by by award-winning production agency Contented, will run in several UK movie chain theaters nationwide. It’s quite dynamic — click through to see the ad. Continue Reading
Acast enters Finland in partnership with Asennemedia
Acast enters Finland, via a partnership with Finnish marketing agency Asennemedia. In the agreement, the 50 podcasts represented by Asennemedia will be hosted on Acast, and exposed to Finnish advertisers through the Acast marketplace. Continue Reading
Townsquare Media erases operational divide; unites linear/digital content; promotes execs
In a major and meaningful corporate reorg, Townsquare Media has united its previously separate linear and digital content teams. A key executive promotion leads this development on the company’s news page: Jared Willig is named Chief Content Officer, overseeing content across all radio and digital platforms and consumer touchpoints. Continue Reading
Audiobook revenue up 12% in 2020, to $1.3B, part of longer term rocketing growth
In research conducted by the Audio Publishers Association (APA), Edison Research, and InterQ Research, the APA announced earlier this month that audiobook revenue rose 12% in 2020, to $1.3-billion. Click through for many more stats in this vibrant and fast-growing audio field. Continue Reading
Matt Deegan: Radio and Podcast Acquisitions
by Matt Deegan
Guest columnist Matt Deegan (Folder Media) reports on radio and podcast acquisition activity. Not much more to buy in UK radio, and a deep dive into Sony Music’s grab of Somethin’ Else podcasts. “The deal with Sony could be seen as a bit of a reverse take-over. The Somethin’ Else team, with Steve Ackerman soon to be in New York, and Jez Nelson in London, take over all of Sony’s podcast activities, merging them with their own – all under the Sony Music banner.” Click for more. Continue Reading
American Music Fairness Act latest legislative push to reverse radio royalty exemption
A proposed bill called the American Music Fairness Act was introduced yesterday in a public spectacle attended by Dionne Warwick and other music celebrities. The legislation is fronted by congressional reps Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Darrell Issa (R-CA). Click for details on the argument and the proposed solution. Continue Reading
Audacy starts new podcast studio: 2400Sports, with MLB partnership
Audacy, a leading sports broadcaster and streamer, is opening a new sports podcast studio called 2400Sports. The venture begins with a content partnership with Major League Baseball, and another with Jody Avirgan’s Roulette Productions. Get ready for a LOT of baseball documentaries and team-specific podcasts. Continue Reading
Edison Research plans second annual Latino Podcast Listener Report in dual-language webinars
A majority of Latinos in the U.S. have listened to a podcast. That teaser is leaked by Edison Research to promote an upcoming webinar release of the second annual Latino Podcast Listener Report. Dual-language presentations are scheduled at different times on Tuesday, July 13. Click through for details and registration links. The webinars are free. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Wednesday, June 23
Jottings of Note
— Smart (“Smartless” podcast)
— No Party Favors (Wondery)
— Missing the Mark (Apple Music)
The Washington Post signals importance of audio; hires director from Spotify
The Washington Post has hired Renita Jablonski as director of audio (title uncapitalized in the press release). Jablonski comes from Spotify, and is also ex-NPR. The move signals the importance of audio to WaPo, which displays neary 30 shows on its podcast page. Continue Reading