Jottings of note:
Innately Personal
SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz keynoted this week’s CES event in Las Vegas, in a fireside chat format with preeminent podcaster Ashley Flowers (Crime Junkie). It’s a dual interview, with both thought leaders asking and answering questions. “At SiriusXM our vision is to shape the future of audio,” Witz remarked in her introductory comments. Witz positioned her company as “a foundation of the audio revolution.” While how we listen has changed, she asserted, why we listen remains unchanged . “We are entertained and informed by audio; moved and enlightened, and most of all it helps us feel connected […] it’s an innately personal medium.” Video is HERE. //
Exponential
The exceptional E.B. Moss is covering CES for Cynopsis, and her first-day piece — CES 2025: Where Tech Meets Media, Marketing, and Entertainment — is HERE. “While ‘tech’ brings IoT and EVs to mind for some, its impact on the entire entertainment industry, including media, gaming, and certainly adtech, is clearly evident. So are those blurred lines, as Netflix can be watched on your refrigerator and AI helps drive entertainment options in self-driving cars. So, the exponential increase of attendees in media and marketing is not surprising.”
Mapping Serialization
Dan Misener of Bumper, who pioneered the concept of podcast listening neighborhoods, has used that helpful illustration in his latest blog post: Navigating the landscape of serialized podcasts. Interestingly, his research finds that earlier episodes of a serial podcast havemore verifiedlisteners than later episodes, but episode retention and average listen time are higher in earlier episodes. When it comes to marketing True Crime, his advice is “Fish where the fish are” — in other words, promote in other true crime shows. This meaty, detailed and (of course) well illustrated piece of research is HERE.
Dream Come True
Buzz Knight Media has scored a deal with iHeartPodcasts to bring the Music Saved Me podcast into iHeart’s network of shows. The arrangement is effective Wednesday of this week. The show is hosted by TV personality Lynn Hoffman, and highlights how music can be a healing modaliy for mental health crises. It features stories of passi;on and resilience from musicians who have faced personal struggles. “It’s a dream come true to collaborate and kick off the new year with one of my mentors and dearest friends, Buzz Knight, and to partner with Premiere Networks and iHeartPodcasts,” said Hoffman, a TV/radio host, producer, and voiceover artist. Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, syndicates over 100 radio programs and reaches a quarter billion listeners monthly.
January 8, 2025
