Podcasting 160 - RAIN News

iHeartRadio to be default live music provider for Alexa children’s products

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Brad Hill

We know from The Smart Audio Report conducted by Edison Research and NPR, that smart speakers have a special (and perhaps unpredicted) appeal to kids, and therefore to parents who are bringing Alexa devices into their homes. research summary. iHeartRadio is leaping into that space with an announcement today that it will be the default provider of live music content for the newly launched Echo Dot Kids Edition, and the FreeTime Unlimited skill in Alexa. Continue Reading →

Podtrac show ranking chart for March 2018 is out

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Anna Washenko

Podtrac has released its ranker of the top 20 podcasts for March 2018. Most of the entries are consistent with the list from February, with just a few shifts in the order. Podtrac’s March 2018 publisher ranking was released last week. Continue Reading →

S-Town, Uncivil, and public media win Peabody Awards

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Anna Washenko

The 2017 Peabody Awards winners for radio/podcast have been chosen. Serial Productions maintains its success rate, securing a win for its new podcast S-Town. Uncivil: The Raid by Gimlet Media also took a win for its depiction of an event during the Civil War. Continue Reading →

Billy Freund joins PodcastOne as Co-COO

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Brad Hill

Veteran digital audio executive Billy Freund has joined PodcastOne as Co-COO, according to a news release sent by the L.A.-based podcast company. Freund steps into COO responsibilities alongside Greg Batusic, who operates in New York. Freund will work in the Beverly Hills headquarters. Continue Reading →

Google: Audio should be a “first-class citizen”

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Brad Hill

Picking up from yesterday’s Part 1 of the conversation between Pacific Media’s Steve Pratt and Google’s Podcasts Product Manager Zack Reneau-Wedeen, today’s installment in the five-part series has Reneau-Wedeen evangelizing audio and planning its rise in Google information ecosystem. “There’s no good reason why audio isn’t a first-class citizen,” he said. Continue Reading →

Freakonomics Radio moving to Stitcher for existing and new productions

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Brad Hill

One of the most successful audio titles, Freakonomics Radio, is moving to Stitcher this summer, according to an announcement sent out this morning by Midroll Media, which controls Stitcher. Both Midroll and Stitcher are owned by E.W. Scripps. There’s an interesting strategy for show archives. Continue Reading →

Google lays out basics of long-awaited podcast strategy, seeks to double existing audience

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Brad Hill

Google intends to double the podcast audience in a couple of years, and correct what it sees as an imbalance in Android’s share of delivery compared to iPhones. Some of Google’s podcast discovery and listening strategy is already implemented, and it shines a meaningful light on Google’s potential power to come from way behind Apple’s 13-year advantage in delivering podcasts to its iTunes and Podcasts app audiences. Continue Reading →

James Cridland’s Future of Radio: Bauer’s new strategy, and lots of podcast data

Posted on April 23, 2018 by James Cridland

by James Cridland

James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: In the UK, Bauer’s new national radio station. In the U.S., statistics and trends from Podcast Consumer 2018. Continue Reading →

The Weather Channel debuts first podcast next week

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Anna Washenko

Podcasts are taking the world by storm. The Weather Channel has announced that it is debuting its first podcast next week. The program, Weather Geeks, is hosted by former American Meteorological Society president Dr. Marshall Shepherd. Continue Reading →

New York Times to host Student Podcast Contest

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Anna Washenko

The New York Times is hosting its first-ever Student Podcast Contest. The publication presented the contest as a way to incorporate audio narratives into a classroom setting. The official announcement of the contest is expected next week, but some preliminary details are available. Continue Reading →

Podcast Consumer 2018: Share of ear doubles, smartphone dominance, and smart speaker success

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Anna Washenko

Podcasting has come a long way in attracting a dedicated, passionate audience with several unique traits, but there is still progress to be made in reaching the mainstream American listener. That’s the narrative laid out today in the Podcast Consumer 2018 report from Edison Research and Triton Digital. Ever the congenial host, Edison VP Tom Webster presided over the presentation. Continue Reading →

Podtrac publisher rankings published for March 2018

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Anna Washenko

Podtrac’s podcast publisher ranking for March 2018 is now available. The results show another month with little fluctuation among the top performers putting out podcasts, and only one replacement from the prior month’s chart. Continue Reading →