Month: March 2017

PowerPress Tops One Million Downloads

~ jen

PowerPress is a free podcast publishing tool from Blubrry that powers more podcasts worldwide than any other plugin. On March 10, 2017, PowerPress surpassed one million downloads.

PowerPress was launched in 2008 and quickly became the most popular plugin on the market. Approximately 18 percent of all podcasts found on iTunes use PowerPress, more than any other service or platform. The plugin now powers more than 65,000 podcast websites ranging from single podcasts to radio stations and podcast networks, the biggest having more than 600 shows on a single install.

There are many reasons why PowerPress has been downloaded 6 times as much as any other podcasting plugin. Perhaps the most important is the ease of use and all-in-one experience it allows.

For thousands of podcasters, PowerPress has served as a free, easy-to-use introduction to the top notch services Blubrry provides. But, the real magic happens when PowerPress is used in tandem with other Blubrry products, such as hosting and professional podcast stats. The products work seamlessly together, allowing podcasters to create, publish, and distribute their podcasts – plus share new episodes on social media and check analytics – all without leaving their WordPress dashboard.

Mental Floss Founders Leave to Develop Podcasts

~ jen

Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur are the co-founders of Mental Floss.  The print publication of Mental Floss has ended, but the website continues. The Mental Floss site gets 15 million to 20 million unique visitors each month (and an additional 30 million monthly video views). AdWeek reported that Will Pearson said “The company’s at a good place to pass it along.”

Mental Floss is the international media brand that gives smart, curious knowledge junkies their fix with upbeat, witty explorations of everything from science to pop culture to tech to history. They specialize in finding the most fascinating elements of everything their readers want to learn more about, and they illuminate the news you thought you already knew all about.

HowStuffWorks got started in 1998 at a college professor’s kitchen table. They have grown to become an award-winning source of unbiased, reliable, easy-to-understand answers and explanations of how the world actually works. HowStuffWorks creates written content, videos, and podcasts.

Mangesh Hattikudur and Will Pearson will be launching a new podcast under the HowStuffWorks banner. It will be released in May. There hasn’t been any specific details about what this new podcast will be about, but in an interview with AdWeek, the two Mental Floss co-founders expressed an interest in experimenting with what a “knowledge podcast” can be.

Pregnant Pause – A Couple Ponders Becoming Parents

~ jen

Do you want to have kids? That question is one that most, if not all, couples grapple with. It is an intensely personal discussion that can be extremely emotional. Pregnant Pause allows you to listen in as a couple works through the process of deciding whether or not to have kids.

Pregnant Pause is hosted and produced by Zak Rosen and Shira Heisler, who are a married couple. The podcast is described as “their intimate account of making the most important decision of their lives (so far).” Zak Rosen is a Detroit-based story maker who was a founding producer of WDET’s Detroit Today.

The phrase “pregnant pause” refers to a situation where no one is speaking – but there is this awareness that someone is about to share thoughts that are extremely important. The implication is that those unexpressed thoughts are controversial, or emotionally heavy, and perhaps life changing.

Pregnant Pause is a series of discussions a couple had with each other, and with friends, family, writers, and scientists. Listeners must wait until the eight-episode series reveals whether or not Zak Rosen and Shira Heisler decided to have a baby. Assuming, of course, that answer is revealed by the end of the series. The couldn’t be a more appropriate name for this podcast than Pregnant Pause.

The first episode of Pregnant Pause was released on March 17, 2017, (following a trailer). New episodes are released every Friday. The episodes were created over the past year, and took several hundred hours to produce. Pregnant Pause is made in partnership with Pineapple Street Media, a Brooklyn-based podcast company.

Forbes Sports Money Podcast Now on PodcastOne

~ jen

PodcastOne has launched a new program in the Forbes on PodcastOne series. Forbes Sports Money joins Forbes podcasts that had been previously released on PodcastOne this year: The Forbes Interview, Forbes Under 30, and Forbes Lists.

Forbes Sports Money is hosted by Forbes Executive Editor, Mike Ozanian. He speaks with team owners, athletes, and industry leaders about the money and enterprise born of supreme athletic competitions. The podcast gives listeners an in-depth look at the business of sport.

Mike Ozanian is also a co-host on the TV version of Forbes Sports Money (which is obviously what the podcast was derived from). The TV show is a four-time New York Emmy Award winning television on the YES network. If you like the Forbes Sports Money TV show, it seems very likely that you will also enjoy the podcast. Forbes Sports Money will release a new episode every Thursday.

At the time I am posting this blog, Forbes Sports Money has released six episodes (and a trailer). The first episode is titled “Highest-Paid Athletes of All Time”. Host Mike Ozanian is joined by guest Kurt Badenhausen, who is a senior editor at Forbes. The most recent episode is titled “Jeanie Buss: All About The Lakers and Its Legacy”. In that episode, host Mike Ozanian is joined by President and part owner of the Lakers, Jeanie Buss.

Vox Media Hired Nishat Kurwa to Develop Podcasts

~ jen

Vox has hired Nishat Kurwa to be its first executive producer of audio. She will be responsible for developing podcasts for the company’s portfolio of brands, both current and future. This includes all eight of Vox’s properties, which include Eater, Vox, SB Nation, Polygon and The Verge.

Nicholas Quah from Hot Pod reports that Nishat Kurwa will move from Los Angeles to New York for this job, and that she will be reporting to Vox Media president Marty Moe. He also points out some of the complexities with Vox’s podcasts, stating that they are spread out over several brands and according to considerably different configurations.

The production for Vox.com’s podcasts, for example, is being handled by Panoply, with those shows hosted on its Megaphone platform as a result. Meanwhile, Recode’s podcast are supported by DGital Media with Art19 hosting, and that site still appears to be hunting for a dedicated executive producer of audio. The Verge, Polygon, Eater, Curbed, and SB Nation – though not Racked, alas – all have various podcast products of their own, but they all appear to be produced, marketed, and distributed individually according to their own specific brand infrastructures.

Nishat Kurwa is a 15-year vet of the radio industry. She served most recently as senior digital producer of Marketplace at American Public Media. She also has had roles at KCBS FM in San Francisco, and was the news director and senior producer at Youth Radio.

“Your Podcast” is a New Podcast from Blubrry

~ jen

Blubrry’s new podcast is called Your Podcast.  It is all about your brand, you ideas, your intellectual property, and your time – and how Blubbry services can help you keep all of these things.

Your Podcast is going to feature company news and announcements, discussion about podcasting in general, tech topics that relate to your podcast and some inside information coming from a combined 24 years of experience in podcasting. The show will run every two weeks opposite the PowerPress Podcast.

The hosts of Your Podcast are Todd Cochrane and Mike Dell. Todd Cochrane is the CEO of RawVoice Inc. (parent company of Blubbry Podcasting) and the host and producer of the Geek News Central Podcast and co-host of the New Media Show.

Mike Dell is the Customer Support Coordinator for RawVoice and Blubbry and is the host and producer of Mike Dell’s World and Podcast Help Desk (among others).

Wondery Premiers “I Hate My Boss” – A Career Advice Podcast

~ jen

Wondery has announced the launch of their sixth original podcast series I Hate My Boss.  It offers expert advice and comedic relief for your daily workplace experience. The format-busting series will resolve the dilemma most of us have: Whom do I turn to with a tricky question about my workplace, boss or co-workers?

In I Hate My Boss, co-hosts and workplace heroes Liz Dolan and Larry Seal will take listeners’ questions and give them advice, with the help of a scripted comedy segment based at the fictional ad agency Penn & Pencil. The characters will serve as points of reference for listeners, and will include a boss who thrives on conflict and an egomaniac yet charming creative director, as performed by UCB-trained actors.

The series will also feature exclusive interviews with thought leaders, who share some of their most difficult and career-defining workplace moments.

Dolan, an awarded global marketer, has served as CMO at global brands such as NIKE, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network and National Geographic Channels. She is also co-host of the long-running podcast and media brand Satellite Sisters, winner of 13 Gracie Allen Awards. Seal, a renowned executive coach and Founder and CEO of EngagedLeadership, has worked with thousands of leaders at over 200 organizations, including Google, Disney, H&M, Lucasfilm, and Sony, and over 70 of the Global 500 companies.

The first two episodes will premiere April 3, 2017, with a special sneak preview that is available now wherever you listen to podcasts. Audiences can submit their burning workplace questions anonymously via the I Hate My Boss hotline at 424-224-5711. I Hate My Boss joins Wondery as the newest original, alongside the critically acclaimed series Inside Psycho, Hollywood & Crime, FOUND, Terms, and Secrets, Crimes & Audiotape.

Missouri Legislators Launch Podgressive Podcast

~ jen

Podgressive is described as: “Weekly dispatches from a blue city in a red state in a divided country”. It was created by Progressive Democratic Legislators in Missouri.

Kansas City Democrats Representative Lauren Arthur and Representative Jon Carpenter launched Podgressive in February of this year. The idea came to them from their conversations over the course of their time in the General Assembly.

They decided that a podcast would be a good way to share an inside perspective on the legislative process. In addition, the hope was that the podcast would attract millennial progressives in Missouri, a state that became decidedly conservative following the 2016 elections. Kansas City is a “blue bastion” in a very red state.

Podgressive is co-hosted by Representative Jon Carpenter and Representative Lauren Arthur. They intend to have guests on future episodes of the podcast, including other politicians and people from other organization and industries.

At the time I am writing this blog, Podgressive has released three episodes. The inaugural episode covers topics such as: Kansas City Airport Tug of War, Missouri Republicans make national news, and General Flynn’s firing and President Trump’s Explanation.

Episode two gives listeners a chance to get to know the hosts a little bit better, and covers some news about cuts to unemployment insurance (among other topics). Episode three features Podgressives first “Two Truths and a Lie” game, includes news about the Missouri (anti-) discrimination legislation, and features special guest Stephen Webber, Chair of the Missouri Democratic party.

If you enjoy Podgressive, you might also want to check out a podcast called Heads Up, Missouri!  It is hosted by five female Democratic Missouri lawmakers: Representative Lauren Arthur, Senator Jill Schupp, Senator Kiki Curls, Representative Deb Lavender and Representative Tracy McCreery. The podcast focuses on Missouri State policy.

Fairfield County Writers’ Studio Holds Podcasting Workshop

~ jen

The Fairfield County Writers’ Studio is located in Westport, Connecticut. They offer a variety of classes, most of which focus on writing. This month, they join forces with the Connecticut Press Club to offer a one-day workshop on how to create a podcast.

Podcasting 101 will be held on March 18, 2017. It will take place from 9:30 a.m – 12:30 p.m. Those interested in attending must register. Space is limited. The workshop costs $75.

Instructor Ben Bogardus will teach Podcasting 101. He specializes in teaching media and broadcast news writing, TV reporting, and TV newscast producing. Ben Bogardus has won an Emmy and a national Edward R. Murrow award for his work.

Podcasting 101 truly is designed for people who are brand new to podcasting. In this workshop, you can learn how to put together a podcast from start to finish. You can get hands-on experience while attending the workshop.

Bring your laptop and smartphone with you. It is highly recommended that you download and install the Audacity audio editing program prior to the workshop. Audacity can be downloaded for free, and I suspect this could be one reason why it was selected.  After learning some podcasting techniques, participants will get the chance to apply what they learned by creating their own podcast in class.

Bronzeville is an Audio Drama Set in 1940s Chicago

~ jen

Bronzeville is a scripted audio drama podcast that is set in 1940s Chicago. It takes place in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of the same name. It features several well-known African-American actors, including Laurence Fishburne and Larenz Tate.

Lawerence Fishburne is the executive producer of Bronzeville. He also stars in it playing the role of Curtis “Eyeball” Randolph, the neighborhood’s longtime gang boss who is now out of the game. Larenz Tate plays Jimmy Tillman, a black man from the rural south who has gone to Chicago to escape his checkered past. Larenz Tate is also a co-director and co-executive producer of Bronzeville.

The ten-part audio drama Bronzeville was written by Josh Olson.  His screenplay for the film “A History of Violence” was nominated for the Academy Award, the BAFTA, the WGA award and the Edgar (among others).

The Bronzeville website has a blog that provides information on the Bronzeville neighborhood, lotteries, the Chicago music scene, Al Capone, and many other historically relevant things to know about Chicago.

A preview, and five episodes of Bronzeville have been released. The podcast is available on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and Soundcloud.