Bongino
WESTWOOD ONE's "THE DAN BONGINO SHOW" has passed the 100 affiliate mark. The show went into syndication in MARCH 2020.
“Growing up a fan of conservative talk radio makes this moment extra special for me. To be able to reach people across the country with a strong pro-liberty, pro-freedom message is the honor of a lifetime,” said BONGINO. “Special thanks as well to the affiliates partnering with us in this venture.”
Allegations Of Racism
A former news producer at SANTA MONICA COLLEGE Triple A-News-Talk KCRW/SANTA MONICA-LOS ANGELES is alleging in an interview and on social media that she experienced racist behavior at the station before she left in a buyout last year, reports the LOS ANGELES TIMES.
CERISE CASTLE said on MONDAY's episode (2/22) of LA PODCAST that she experienced "microaggressions, gaslighting, and blatant racism" while working at the station, which she also charged took an idea she had for a content initiative called #MyBlackLA and used it without crediting her. CASTLE also directed attention to a lack of diversity among station staffers; her allegations were supported by another former KCRW producer, JEROME CAMPBELL, who tweeted TUESDAY that he believes CASTLE "without hesitation," describing his own experiences as a similar combination of microaggressions and overt acts. more »
NEON HUM MEDIA, partnered with SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, has selected eight participants out of 250 applicants for its free Editor's Bootcamp training program for podcast editors from underrepresented groups. One of the eight will be offered a Staff Editor position at NEON HUM.
Participating in the course, led by NEON HUM Senior Editor CATHERINE SAINT LOUIS and taught by THIS AMERICAN LIFE's EMANUELE BERRY, VICE AUDIO's ANNIE AVILÉS, APM PODCASTS' PHYLLIS FLETCHER, LOST NOTES' NICK WHITE, AUDIBLE's ANN HEPPERMANN, and NEON HUM CEO JONATHAN HIRSCH, will be AUDIBLE Sr. Producer ZAKIYA GIBBONS; independent producer and former CROOKED MEDIA Dir./Development CORINNE GILLIARD; OUTLIER MEDIA's JIMMY GUTIERREZ; YR MEDIA/RADIOTOPIA "ADULT-ISH" creatr and Sr. Podcast Producer DAVEY KIM; "TRASLASH PODCAST" and "CANCEL ME, DADDY" producer OLIVER-ASH KLEINE; "THE SLOWDOWN" producer JENNIFER LAI; MURROW AWARD-winning journalist STEPHANIE SERRANO; and WNYC STUDIOS "DEATH, SEX & MONEY" Associate Producer AFI YELLOW-DUKE.
“On behalf of NEON HUM, congratulations to our exemplary finalists on everything that they have accomplished so far,” said SAINT LOUIS. “We look forward to working with these talented folks to give them the training they need to work as editors. The industry doesn’t have enough story editors from underrepresented groups. We hope this Bootcamp will help change that.”
Swarth (Photo: LinkedIn)
Former SHOWTIME NETWORKS SVP/Digital Media & Marketing BRIAN SWARTH has joined ENTERCOM as Head of Marketing, Podcasts, overseeing marketing and public relations for CADENCE13 and PINEAPPLE STREET STUDIOS and reporting to CADENCE13 Chief Content Officer CHRIS CORCORAN.
“With the best-in-class content and partnerships we continue to develop at a strategic and aggressive pace across our podcast divisions, we’re going to be investing heavily on the marketing side of the business, starting with BRIAN’s hire and leadership,” said CORCORAN. “His expertise, creative marketing vision and experience with premium-level shows is deep and aligns perfectly with our ambitious goals and high quality of content.”
“I’m thrilled to be joining the CADENCE13 and PINEAPPLE STREET STUDIOS teams to amplify their brand stories and content marketing to help accelerate growth at such a pivotal moment in the evolution of the podcast industry,” said SWARTH, who left SHOWTIME in MAY 2020 and previously worked at ZEMOGA, MTV NETWORKS, and WARNER BROS. “Getting the chance to work alongside some of the best storytellers and content makers in the industry, while leveraging ENTERCOM’s massive scale and reach, is a marketer’s dream come true.”
Mansbridge
Former longtime CBC "THE NATIONAL" anchor PETER MANSBRIDGE's recently-announced deal with SIRIUSXM CANADA, which saw his podcast "THE BRIDGE" added to the company's podcast roster and the CANADA TALKS channel's schedule (NET NEWS 2/2), has expanded with the debut TODAY (2/25 of MANSBRIDGE's new weekly show "GOOD TALK." The weekly show, also available as a podcast, will air THURSDAYS at 5p (ET) (replaying SUNDAYS at noon) and will include regular panelists TORONTO STAR and LA PRESSE columnist CHANTAL HÉBERT and PR consultant and commentator BRUCE ANDERSON, plus guest panelists. more »
Proft
SALEM RADIO NETWORK will end syndication of DAN PROFT's evening show on MARCH 5th, reports ROBERTFEDER.COM. PROFT has been hosting in the slot vacated by JOE WALSH since the FALL of 2019. He will continue co-hosting mornings with AMY JACOBSON on SALEM News-Talk WIND-A (AM 560 THE ANSWER)/CHICAGO.
SALEM SVP PHIL BOYCE told FEDER that BOYCE has been offered a slot on SALEM's podcast network but no agreement has been yet reached.
NIELSEN has released its latest Podcasting Today Report emphasizing the value of podcasts' diverse audiences.
Among the study's highlights are the news that according to NIELSEN SCARBOROUGH, the U.S. podcast audience is more diverse than the general population (41% non-White podcast listeners, as opposed to 34% of the population); the Hispanic podcast audience has grown 600% in 10 years, while the Black and Asian podcast audiences have grown 500% and WHite audiences have grown 400% in the same time period; different ethnic demographic groups have different genres they favor, with Hispanic audiences, skewing younger than other categories, favoring "Kids & Family" podcasts; and Black and Hispanic podcast listeners are more likely to take action in reaction to retailers' advertising, including visiting the store, buying the product, or calling a phone number in an ad. NIELSEN concludes that brands can use this information to tailor ads for specific audience targets rather than casting a wide net. more »
Top Podcast Advertisers
MAGELLAN AI's JANUARY rankings of the top podcast advertisers has BETTERHELP on top, holding onto the number one position with a $1.6 million lead over the next biggest spender, GEICO, which jumped from 11th to second place.
The top spenders for JANUARY:
1. BETTERHELP, $4.4 million (last month #1)
2. GEICO, $2.8 million (#11)
3. BANK OF AMERICA, $2.7 million (#2)
4. SIMPLISAFE, $2.2 million (#4)
5. HELLO FRESH, $2.1 million (#8)
6. EXPRESSVPN, $1.9 million (#9)
7. PROGRESSIVE, $1.8 million (--)
8. SERIOUSLY DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT, $1.7 milion (--)
9. SQUARESPACE, $1.7 million (--)
10. ZIPRECRUITER, $1.7 million (#15)
11. AMAZON, $1.6 million (#5)
12. ORACLE, $1.6 million (--)
13. STAMPS.COM, $1.5 million (--)
14. MADISON REED, $1.2 million (#12)
15. MCDONALD'S, $1.2 million (#3) more »
New Shows
iHEARTRADIO's new podcasts this week include a companion podcast for a high-profile NETFLIX series and a show with three friends talking about topics proposed by listeners.
"BRIDGERTON: THE OFFICIAL PODCAST," debuting TODAY (2/25), is a companion show for SHONDA RHIMES' modern take on a British period drama, "BRIDGERTON." The show is hosted by GABRIELLE COLLINS with guests JESS BROWNELL, DR. HANNAH GREIG, and ANNABELLE HOOD.
"PROMPT US" is hosted by Contemporary Christian artist GABRIEL CONTE with friends ZACHARY STAINES and CHAD MASTERS and will offer advice and counsel with talk about faith; the weekly show debuted on MONDAY (2/22).
Also debuting this week was the new PARIS HILTON podcast, "THIS IS PARIS," announced previously (NET NEWS 2/4).
Debuts Thursday
SIRIUSXM Chief Entertainment Anchor and SIRIUSXM STARS host JESS CAGLE is adding a weekly podcast for the satellite and streaming audio service. "THE JESS CAGLE PODCAST WITH JULIA CUNNINGHAM" will debut TOMORROW (2/25).
The new show will feature celebrity interviews with guests including JODIE FOSTER, PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS, REGINA KING, JARED LETO, and AARON SORKIN.
AFROS & AUDIO, which holds an annual two-day podcast conference for Black podcasters, is expanding with the establishment of a paid community network for Black podcast creatives and audio professionals.
Founder TALIN JASIR said, "It's our contribution to this year's BLACK HISTORY MONTH; the only difference is amplifying Black voices and accomplishments won't end on the 28th because making history never ends." The new network was a response to the concern that once the annual podcast festival events were over, there was no immediate space to continue connections. "It's only in the days after our events where we can adequately measure the impact of our commitment to community and collaboration," said TALIB.
The next AFROS & AUDIO PODCAST FESTIVAL, like 2020's a virtual event, is scheduled for NOVEMBER 13-14. Find out more at afrosandaudio.com.
Morello (Photo: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com)
TOM MORELLO is expanding his presence on SIRIUSXM with three new streaming music channels, a new weekly show, and a new podcast.
The RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist. who has been hosting "TOM MORELLO'S ONE MAN REVOLUTION" for SIRIUSXM LITHIUM, will add a new weekly music show, "TOM MORELLO'S RADIO COMANDANTE," airing on whatever channel fits the week's musical theme, starting MARCH 2nd with a show on SIRIUSXM E STREET RADIO examining the story behind BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's "The Ghost of Tom Joad." more »
Rep In Canada
NPR's NATIONAL PUBLIC MEDIA sales subsidiary has appointed DIGITAL AD EXCHANGE (DAX) as its podcast ad sales representative in CANADA.
DAX CANADA Chief Revenue Officer CHRIS NIMIGON said, “This agreement is an incredible opportunity to join forces with one of the world’s foremost audio networks. Podcast listening continues to deliver incremental year-on-year growth. By connecting NPR’s talented podcasters with the right brands and agencies, we can help podcasts retain their authentic voice while benefiting from vital sponsorships. We look forward to bringing Canadian audiences engaging messages that increase awareness of relevant products and services no matter how or where they tune in.” more »
Spanish-Language Edition
The newly-launched podcast production company MOTHER TONGUE, founded by reVOLVER PODCASTS co-founder and former UNIVISION VP/Podcasts and Experiential STEPHEN HOBBS and LUPE DE LOS SANTOS, has been enlisted to produce a Spanish-language edition of AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA's educational podcast BRAINS ON. The new BRAINS ON EN ESPAÑOL, which debuted on JANUARY 24th, is being distributed via reVOLVER.
"Our objective with MOTHER TONGUE is to expand the possibilities for growth and learning among multilingual children and families, starting with Spanish," said HOBBS. "Latino students currently comprise the largest minority group in the public school system, yet score lower than national averages on math and science achievement tests. APM's broad portfolio of podcast programming will provide much-need support to these audiences and bridge these gaps." more »
U.K. podcast producer NOVEL is partnering with iHEARTMEDIA to produce a slate of eleven new original podcasts over the next three years. The new shows will kick off with "THE ASSAULT ON AMERICA," a look at the CAPITOL insurrection produced with investigative reporting site BELLINGCAT, and "DELIVER US FROM ERVIL," on a Mexican border town run by a religious sect.
"We're thrilled to be entering into such an exciting partnership with iHEARTMEDIA,” said NOVEL CEO SEAN GLYNN. “Pairing NOVEL's best-in-class storytelling credentials with iHEARTMEDIA 's excellent editorial judgment and global distribution is an incredibly compelling combination.”
“This new partnership will allow us to produce deeply researched, narratively rich investigative series at scale that grip listeners right off the bat,” added NOVEL Head of Content MAX O'BRIEN. “We couldn't be more proud to be the first UK-based podcast company to sign a slate deal with iHEARTMEDIA."
“We’re eager to collaborate with the brilliant minds at NOVEL to bring listeners an incredible new lineup of history, true-crime and documentary podcasts,” said iHEARTPODCAST NETWORK Pres. CONAL BYRNE. “NOVEL has a penchant for producing award-winning docuseries, and we couldn’t be more excited to join forces and bring their storytelling talent and expertise to the iHEARTPODCAST NETWORK.”
