Podcast Business Journal Spotlight

We speak with Steve about why he left Sony, and what's next

For this interview and more, visit https://podcastbusinessjournal.com

More at https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/interviews

More interviews like this at podcastbusinessjournal.com

More at podcastbusinessjournal.com

There's more at https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/interviews

We spoke to Dimi about the launch of the AI VIdeo Studio from Wondercraft

We speak with George about his new podcast analytics tool.https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/interviews/george-lejnine/

We spoke with Brad about putting together 2,000 daily podcast episodes

Inception Point AI creates AI-generated podcast personalities and produces content across multiple platforms, claiming to operate the world's largest independent podcast company by show count with over 160,000 episodes. CEO Jeanine Wright acknowledges their early content quality was poor but argues they've improved significantly, comparing it to how traditional podcasters cringe at their first episodes. The company uses SEO-focused titling and can produce topical content rapidly—launching shows within an hour of breaking news—with a team of eight people releasing 3,000 episodes weekly. Wright admits human review is necessary for sensitive topics like news and politics but not for lower-risk content like gardening, and now includes AI disclosures in show notes after initially not doing so. She predicts AI will become the default content creation tool within 12-24 months, arguing the distinction between AI and human-created content will become irrelevant, similar to how digital photography replaced film.

Tim is Executive Editor, Audio, at Radio New Zealand.RNZ's new 17-episode podcast Nark tells the extraordinary story of New Zealand's first prison murder at Mt Eden in 1985, where burglar Ross Appelgren was convicted twice—and had both convictions quashed—for killing fellow inmate Darcy Te Hira. Appelgren went to his grave in 2013 maintaining his innocence, even escaping prison once to plead his case on radio. Now, thirteen years after his death, his widow is taking the case back to court to clear his name. At the heart of this gripping investigation is a fundamental question: can you trust the testimony of convicted criminals, particularly "the Nark" who claimed to witness Appelgren commit the murder?What makes this podcast groundbreaking is RNZ's innovative use of AI voice cloning to bring Appelgren's own words to life. With the blessing of his family and estate, the production team used ElevenLabs to recreate Appelgren's voice from rare radio interviews, combined with a New Zealand actor's performance to capture his intonation and Kiwi accent. Rather than simply having an actor read his memoirs, court transcripts, and affidavits, listeners hear what sounds remarkably like Appelgren himself pleading his case across hours of content—a deeply moving experience for his family and a powerful connection for audiences.This marks RNZ's first use of AI in journalism, carefully considered through ethical working groups and justified by the principle of giving voice to the voiceless. Lead producer Mike Wesley Smith has spent two and a half years investigating this case, and the result spans 35 to 65 minutes per episode, rolling out three times weekly through early December. It's an ambitious true crime series that pushes the boundaries of audio storytelling whilst grappling with questions of justice, credibility, and how we remember those who can no longer speak for themselves.

There's a full link here: https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/interviews/sari-azout/

Read this interview over here: https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/interviews/brian-conlan/

James Burtt, founder of the newly launched Pivot Productions Group, shares his vision for transforming the podcasting landscape by helping celebrity talent maximize their earning potential through IP ownership rather than traditional pay-per-session models. Drawing inspiration from successful sports personalities like Peter Crouch and Gary Lineker's ventures, Burtt discusses the untapped opportunities in celebrity podcasting, the growing trend of premium content behind paywalls, and the importance of building genuine communities around shows rather than relying solely on traditional advertising revenue. The conversation explores how podcasting is evolving from a "second class digital citizen" to a legitimate business platform, with Burtt offering candid insights about the challenges of launching new productions with high-profile talent while remaining optimistic about the industry's growth potential—noting that with only a quarter of people listening weekly, there's still tremendous room for expansion and great content to find its audience.

Roger Nairn from JAR Podcast Solutions joins James Cridland to discuss the company's strategic rebrand from JAR Audio and their new systematic approach to branded podcasting. Nairn explains their JAR system (Job, Audience, Result) - a framework that treats podcasts as business solutions rather than marketing experiments.The conversation explores how brands are increasingly demanding measurable ROI from their podcast investments, moving beyond vanity metrics to track brand lift, consideration, and conversion through custom analytics stacks and partnerships with research firms like Signal Hill Insights. Nairn shares insights from campaigns including American Express's "Build it Braver" podcast, demonstrating how podcasts can drive specific business outcomes like increased purchase consideration.They also tackle the challenge of CEO-driven podcast initiatives, discussing when founder-hosted shows work versus when they become expensive indulgences, and why successful branded podcasts prioritise audience value over self-promotion.

Sean King, GM of Media & Entertainment at Veritone, discusses how Amazon's recent Wondery restructuring reflects a strategic shift towards integrated audio ecosystems, consolidating their various platforms like Audible and Wondery to better navigate the evolving podcast landscape. He emphasizes that while host-read ads remain important, the industry needs a balanced advertising approach as audiences become increasingly fragmented across multiple platforms like YouTube, social media, and streaming services, making measurement and monetization more complex but requiring content creators to meet audiences wherever they consume content.

Pary chats to James Cridland about podcasting in Canada

Sam Sethi caught up with Anu Bhardwaj from SHEQONOMI, the world's first suite of mobile apps on Android, iOS, KaiOS, and JiOS focused on women-led podcasts powered by women targeting the bottom billion. This was first aired on the Podnews Weekly Review.

Stew Redwine is VP Creative Services at Oxford Road

Amelia talks about the Podscribe Performance Benchmarks for Q4 2023. They're here, free - https://podscribe.com/ppb-q4-2023

Daryl Battaglia is SVP of Measurement Products and Strategy at Triton Digital

Todd Cochrane is CEO of Blubrry Podcasting

How does the Edison Podcast Metrics ranker work? Hear exclusive data from the new UK list

Rebecca is an award-winning Executive Producer, Journalist and Host; in this interview with Sam Sethi she talks about how she got the job working with Harry and Meghan, and about wanting to help more women get involved in podcasting. This interview was first aired in the Podnews Weekly Review.

We spoke to the first ever podcaster, about podcasting 20 years ago and in the future.

Sam Sethi spoke to CEO of PodX Group, Staffan Rosell.You can also read the interview here: https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/interviews/staffan-rosell/ and subscribe to our weekly newsletter about the business of podcasting

This week, Sam Sethi speaks to Acast's SVP Marketing, Communications and Brand, Lizzy Pollott. We learn about conversational targeting and keyword targeting, and Acast’s view of the future.

Stephanie Valencia is gaining widespread attention for her role as the co-founder of the newly formed Latino Media Network (LMN). It's first act: The purchase of 18 radio stations from TelevisaUnivision — including all of its AMs and FMs in Las Vegas, Fresno and the Rio Grande Valley. What's LMN's plan of action? RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief got the exclusive scoop from Valencia in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM.

Byron Allen, the one-time comedian turned media mogul, is one of five recipients of a Leadership Award from the Broadcasters Foundation of America. Allen's acceptance of the honor will be remembered for a generation — he hammed it up on stage before delivering a poignant message to the industry VIPs in attendance. RBR+TVBR was there, and we have the full audio of Allen's speech in the latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.fm.

Dave Jones discusses Podcast 2.0, a project he's working on with Adam Curry

John fills us in with his strategies on How To Keep Your Listeners Engaged.

Humboldt County, Calif., has always been a unique and offbeat portion of the Golden State. And, the local economy is a fragile one. With the COVID-19 pandemic, what has that meant for media companies serving communities such as Eureka and Arcata? RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson gets the answer in this Coronavirus INFOCUS Podcast featuring a conversation with Lost Coast Communications GM Bill Prescott.

In this episode of the PBJ spotlight we interview the PR Maven Nancy Marshall. Nancy launched the PR Maven Podcast in September of 2018. As of February 2020, there are 75 episodes of the show, which you can find at www.praven.com or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

In the PBJ spotlight on this episode -- Who Are These Podcasts? It's a show hosted by Karl. He'd rather we not use his last name, because, well, his show is basically all about criticizing other podcasts. And, as you'll learn from our interview -- that turned ugly for him once.

Lauren Shippen iis the host of the award-winning podcast The Bright Sessions, she's keynoting Podcast Movement in August, and she recently signed a deal with Luminary for her new show The AM Archives.

Bruce Wawrzyniak has been podcasting since 2014. Now, he has three podcasts, yes three. They are: “Now Hear This Entertainment,” “Catholic Sports Radio," and “TASCAM Talkback.” And, he owns his own business, an entertainment company. How does he find the time to do three podcasts? Listen to our interview and find out. In addition, Bruce has great advice for podcasters on preparing great show notes, how to promote your show, equipment to use and much more. If you want to learn everything there is to know about podcasting, listen to the latest PBJ spotlight with Bruce Wawrzniak.

In the PBJ Spotlight today is a show called "Sworn Statement." Sworn Statement is a podcast hosted by Collier County Florida Sheriff's Department Media Relations Specialist Kristine Gill. And this is the first podcast that we've heard of where a law enforcement agency uses a podcast to help solve an active case.

Pheobe LaFave works for iHeartMedia's WGY in Albany, New York. She's a True Crime junkie and when she was given the opportunity to work on a podcast about the 1998 mysterious disappearance of University of Albany student Suzanne Lyall, she jumped at it. We spoke with LaFave about why she got into audio, why she wanted to research and host this podcast and how it all came together.

Jaime Legagneur is the co-founder of the Florida Podcast Network, the host of several Florida based podcasts, and a giant bundle of podcast energy. She co-founded FPN with podcasting superstar Glenn "The Geek" Hebert from The Horse Radio Network. Both will be keynoting Podfest, which kicks off March 7 in Orlando. Here's our PBJ Spotlight podcast interview with Jaime Legagneur