Andon Labs, a San Francisco research company that evaluates AI safety and capability, turned its attention on the susceptibility of radio to AI takeover. The company created four online radio stations fully operated by AI models. The AI general managers (as it were) received budgets to acquire music, program schedules, sell ad space, take customer calls, and voice the DJs. Results? Impressive and attention-getting. Continue Reading
It had to happen. Instrumental group The American Dollar has brought suit against AI music platform Suno, alleging that the AI company used their songs as training material for Suno’s AI music-creation models. The music group is represented by Poseidon… Continue Reading
Edison Research, a subsidiary of SSRS since its acquisition in October, has announced that The Podcast Consumer 2026 will be presented in a webinar. Using the original research resources for which Edison is famous, we are expecting a comprehensive view of podcast consumption in the U.S. Click for registration details. Continue Reading
We learn two broad lessons from the release of Magellan AI’s two new rankers: The top spenders in podcast advertising fall almost exclusively in the Sports and Comedy categories. The top month-over-month budget increases are in the hundreds of percentages. Click for details. Continue Reading
Triton Digital says that the audio business lags in the programmatic arena; the company calls it “a blind spot.” The Sounder AI platform is a remedy with which Triton promises greater precision and a cleaner path to scale for audio budgets. The Trade Desk is involved. Continue Reading
The Museum of Broadcast Communications announced its selection of eight inductees to the Radio Hall of Fame. (One is co-Chair.) Continue Reading
It’s not called the Spanish Podcast Awards, but the podcasts are in Spanish. Spotify is the producer. Fans vote to determine winners. Continue Reading
American pop band Jonas Brothers are entering into podcasting with a weekly video show called “Hey Jonas!.” It’s personal and biographical, covering their brotherhood and personal lives during their touring career. Exec producers are Amy Sugarman and Danielle Romo. Sugerman… Continue Reading
Amazon’s Alexa+ virtual assistant has been conversationally answering user questions since 2014. Now, in a dramatic and consequential upgrade, Alexa+ has been upgraded to allow users to generate a conversational answer staged by AI-generated co-hosts. Continue Reading
Google has supplanted Apple as the world’s most valuable brand, ending Apple’s four-year hold on the top ranking — according to market research company KANTAR. Continue Reading
Media conglomerate Urban One has released earnings for Q1, showing a reduction in the loss column compared to the year-ago Q1. Detail upon detail within. Continue Reading
In this edition of Steve Goldstein’s column, he assesses the goods and bads of AI. It can now generate podcasts at industrial scale, he observes. But after hearing what Gen Z thought of AI-generated shows, one thing is clear: making content is easy — making people care is much harder. “AI lowers the cost of making content, but it does nothing by itself to increase the value of that content to a listener or viewer; if anything, it increases the noise.” Continue Reading