Exploring?
BLOOMBERG is reporting that TUNEIN has hired LIONTREE ADVISORS LLC to explore a possible sale of the streaming audio service.
CEO JOHN DONHAM told BLOOMBERG that the company is "super early in conversations" and is considering whether it will need more money to acquire more programming and for marketing. TUNEIN, he said, is not currently actively involved in sales talks and currently has under 10 million subscribers, much smaller than the largest subscription streamers SPOTIFY and APPLE MUSIC, but is "not too far off" from profitability and may be able to reach profitability without raising more capital.
New
"BAR RESCUE" host JON TAFFER has launched a podcast, "JON TAFFER: NO EXCUSES," for PODCASTONE. The weekly show debuted TUESDAY (6/19) with DAN "BIG CAT" KATZ from BARSTOOL SPORTS' "PARDON MY TAKE" as TAFFER's first guest. TAFFER said, “I want this podcast to be unbelievably honest. I’ve been around the block and I want to share those experiences, but the most exciting part, which is different from my tv show, is my ... more »
Podcast network CADENCE13 is partnering with UNITED TALENT AGENCY to create a new podcast network, RAMBLE, which will focus on podcasts hosted by "digital talent" (such as YouTube celebrities) include extensions of podcasts and talent into social media, events and merchandising. Among the shows being moved under the RAMBLE umbrella are RHETT AND LINK’s EAR BISCUITS, #VIRAL WITH NATALIE ALZATE, CURIOUS WITH JOSH PECK, HANNAH HART’s HANNAHLYZE THIS, and FLULA ... more »
Simien (Photo:Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com)
JUSTIN SIMIEN, the creator of the film and NETFLIX series "DEAR WHITE PEOPLE," is starting a podcast, "DON'T @ ME," with SANTA MONICA COLLEGE Triple A-News-Talk KCRW/SANTA MONICA-LOS ANGELES. The show debuts next WEDNESDAY (6/26, a change from the previously announced JUNE 21st) with guests LENA WAITHE ("MASTER OF NONE") and MISHA GREEN ("UNDERGROUND"). SIMIEN said, "DON'T @ ME is an attitude. It’s when you want to say ... more »
Podcast Study
COLEMAN INSIGHTS will offer the results of a new study on podcast engagement at PODCAST MOVEMENT in PHILADELPHIA on JULY 25th.
The mediaEKG Deep Dive study, presented in a session as part of the conference's Industry Track, will offer second-by-second data in an analysis on listener reactions to "THE BEN AND ASHLEY/ALMOST FAMOUS PODCAST," a show hosted by former contestants from ABC's "THE BACHELOR." COLEMAN's mediaEKG Deep Dive platform uses a ... more »
Williams
Conservative commentator ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS is ending his SIRIUSXM URBAN VIEW talk show on JUNE 17th, according to an interview he gave to the HERITAGE FOUNDATION's DAILY SIGNAL.
WILLIAMS said that he is leaving the show to devote his full time to HOWARD STIRK HOLDINGS, his company that owns several former SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP television stations spun off to meet ownership caps. He will, however, continue his "THE STRONGCAST" podcast and syndicated "THE ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS SHOW" TV series.
WESTWOOD ONE has taken a dive into EDISON RESEARCH's Share of Ear report for first quarter 2018, and in a blog post by Dir. of Content Marketing LAUREN VETRANO at the WWO website, the syndicator is pointing to radio's continued dominance of audio listening as a key takeaway from the quarterly report.
Combining Share of Ear figures for the last four quarters, AM/FM radio is shown to occupy 47% of audio time spent among persons 18+, followed by 12% for owned music, 9% ... more »
Google Podcasts
GOOGLE has unveiled its new podcast app for Android devices, fittingly named "GOOGLE PODCASTS," and the long-awaited program is now available in the GOOGLE Play store. The growth of podcasting has been tempered by the lack of a native app for podcasts on the Android OS, making the APPLE app for iOS the primary listening conduit for the medium. While podcasting has been available to Android users through third-party apps and GOOGLE's search app, the app adds the ... more »
National Winners
The RADIO TELEVISION DIGITAL NEWS ASSOCIATION (RTDNA) has announced the winners of the 2018 national EDWARD R. MURROW Awards. CBS NEWS RADIO took home the Overall Excellence award for network radio, with HUBBARD News WTOP/WASHINGTON willing the Overall Excellence prize for large market radio for a second consecutive year and NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC RADIO repeating its win for small market radio. NPR was the leader in cumulative awards with five wins in the categories of Continuing ... more »
Staudt
iHEARTMEDIA/SAN FRANCISCO Digital PD MATTY STAUDT has been promoted to corporate iHEARTRADIO VP/Podcast Programming. STAUDT will report to iHEARTRADIO SVP/Podcasting CHRIS PETERSON. In an email PETERSON sent to iHEARTMEDIA staff, STAUDT said, "I started in radio when I was 16 in WEST VIRGINIA, am a proud graduate of WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, and have spent most of my career as a host and producer with stops in D.C., NYC, and SAN FRANCISCO. I love podcasts; sports; and spending time ... more »
Digital audio advertising platform TARGETSPOT has opened a new office in LOS ANGELES to expand its multicultural operations, and has named COX MEDIA MUNDO HISPANICO National Account Director RUDY BALDERRAMA as WEST COAST Senior Sales Executive. BALDERRAMA's background includes serving as VP New Business Development at reVOLVER PODCASTS and various sales roles at UNIVISION in LOS ANGELES and SAN FRANCISCO, PEOPLE magazine, AMERICAN EXPRESS PUBLISHING, and other ... more »
Cappello (Photo: WNYC)
CURRENT is reporting that DEAN CAPPELLO is exiting NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO News-Talk WNYC-A-F/NEW YORK and WNYC STUDIOS after 21 years with the company, most recently as Chief Content Officer and SVP of Programming before being moved into an advisor's role in JANUARY.
CAPPELLO oversaw WNYC's growth and the launch of the WNYC STUDIOS podcast division; he was moved out of his Chief Content Officer position in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against several hosts at the station, most notably "THE TAKEAWAY" host JOHN HOCKENBERRY, but an investigation did not find evidence that management had tolerated harassment.
Boylan
BLARNEY STONE BROADCASTING Rock WKLT-WKLZ (97.5 & 98.9 KLT) and Classic Hits WFCX-WFDX (94.3 & 92.5 MUSIC RADIO THE FOX FM)/TRAVERSE CITY-PETOSKEY, MI and Rock WQON (Q100.3)/GRAYLING, MI are adding DAVID BOYLAN's daily "LICK THE PLATE" food feature to their afternoon drive and evening shows, starting JULY 3rd. The feature, which airs on BELL MEDIA Triple A CIDR (93.9 THE RIVER)/WINDSOR-DETROIT and posts in weekly column form at NORTH COUNTY SAN DIEGO's COAST ... more »
Applications Accepted Now
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY News-Talk WAMU/WASHINGTON has announced the creation of "THE POD SHOP," a podcast development program for local podcasters in the D.C.-MARYLAND-VIRGINIA area. The three-month program will pick up to five creators to participate in twice-weekly sessions; the program includes creative guidance, $2,500 in funding, and pilot development assistance. The pilots developed by the program will be distributed in a single podcast feed via WAMU and the ... more »
iHEARTMEDIA's iHEARTRADIO streaming app and site have added ESPN AUDIO's live networks -- ESPN RADIO, ESPN DEPORTES RADIO, and ESPN Sports WEPN-F (ESPN NEW YORK 98.7FM)/NEW YORK, KSPN-A (ESPN LA 710AM)/LOS ANGELES, and WMVP-A (ESPN 1000)/CHICAGO and Spanish Sports WEPN-A (ESPN DEPORTES RADIO NEW YORK 1050AM)/NEW YORK -- and podcasts under a new multi-year agreement. The app also carries iHEARTMEDIA-owned ESPN RADIO affiliates.
“We are consistently looking for new ... more »
