The Wondery Reactions

Yesterday we covered rumors that established podcast production house Wondery had been shuttered. Then a more nuanced situation emerged: Amazon-owned Wondery will be reduced (110 staffers released) and repositioned in a different part of the parent company. Today, we collect public reactions from industry leaders.  Continue Reading

What makes podcast ads effective? New research.

In Part 3 of its survey series The Advertising Landscape, podcast advocacy and advisement company Sounds Profitable sought to discover what advertising characteristics, attributes, and topics create a bond between listeners and sponsors. That bond could be manifested by a purchase, or a feeling of effectiveness, or writing down a promo code, or discussing an advertised product with others. Survey participants were also asked about ad effectiveness generally. Click for some of the results and the download link. Continue Reading

Steve Goldstein:The SEO Collapse: Did Podcasts Replace Late Night?

by Steve Goldstein

In Steve’s latest column, a detailed and interesting analysis of an historical moment. “Stephen Colbert’s exit from The Late Show is more than a changing of the guard. It’s a flashing red signal that the entire late-night ecosystem is being upended. The space late-night TV once owned has changed rapidly, with podcasts playing a central role in that transformation.” “Podcasts aren’t just taking the mic. They’re taking the moment.” Continue Reading

James Cridland’s Radioland – The biggest radio stations in the US

by James Cridland

In this week’s exceptionally deep and thoughtful guest column, James puts a focus on the BBC Sounds media and radio app, which is scheduled to be discontinued outside of the UK today. Also covered: how BBC Sounds is performing inside the UK. (Preview: Slight gain; older listeners.) Moving on from the BBC, James reports on the biggest radio stations in the U.S., one great YouTube video, a retroactive look at “AI Ashley,” census data about radio listenership, visual advertising in radio, and James’ “universal radio” idea. Buckle in. Continue Reading

James Cridland’s Radioland – BBC Radio overseas: a new plan after BBC Sounds closes

by James Cridland

As James’s regular readers know, he has been interested in the availability of BBC Radio outside the UK. And there’s been some movement. The BBC Sounds app will be turned off for listeners outside the UK on 21 July 2025 — but there’s more to it than that. And a lot more news. Continue Reading

Reach, Affinity, Conversions: Podscribe releases ad-planning upgrade

Podscribe, an attribution and analytics platform for ad buyers of podcasting, has released new capabilities in the media planning platform it offers to advertisers. The company calls it “a major upgrade,” available in all user dashboards. The news illuminates some of the intelligence that advertisers can access in crafting campaigns. Continue Reading