iHeartRadio shared two audio announcements today. First, Matty Staudt has been promoted to the newly created position of vice president of podcast programming. In this capacity, Staudt will work with iHeartMedia talent and local markets on developing podcast strategies. His previous position was digital program director for iHeartMedia San Francisco, where he developed the first local branded podcast strategy for the broadcaster and launched more than 30 original locally focused podcasts. He will report to Senior Vice President of Podcasting Chris Peterson in the new role.
The second announcement furthers ties between iHeartRadio and Amazon. iHeartRadio will be the default music service in the Alexa for Hospitality suite, which is used for Amazon Echo smart speakers in hotels. Guests can ask Alexa for information about guest services or request music. Hotel managers can select default stations to play when guests arrive at their rooms and work on creating custom branded experiences. Guests can access iHeartRadio’s live radio stations, custom artist stations, and more.
