Slate

Slate and Forever Dog Ink Multiyear Strategic Agreement

~ jen

Slate announced that it will exclusively represent Forever Dog, a popular podcast network that creates critically-acclaimed comedy and culture shows that champion diversity, individuality, and empowerment.

The multiyear strategic agreement between two of the largest, topically diverse networks in the industry will include all-go-to-market activity and the potential for future collaboration on new programming.

“We are thrilled to be working working with Forever Dog, a network that perfectly aligns with Slate’s voice and values,” said Charlie Krammerer, Slate’s President and CRO. “Like Slate’s, Forever Dog’s audience is smart, passionate and cares deeply about news and culture. And the network offers a robust inventory of engaging, hilarious and gutsy shows that we’re excited to take to market.”

“The Slate partnership is a dream come true,” said Joseph Ciiio, Forever Dog’s CEO and Co-Founder. “Not only are our companies aligned from a values perspective, but we are both passionate about creating top-notch shows that stand out in a saturated marketplace. Paring Slate’s indispensable journalism with Forever Dog’s fearless comedy, our audiences and our client partners are going to have vibrant, stand-out programming to enjoy for years to come.”

Forever Dog already works with Slate’s podcast membership platform Supporting Cast, which offers a way for both independent shows and top tier networks to build reliable, recurring revenue. As part of the expanded relationship, Forever Dog will be launching new exclusive content tied to Race Chaser and other shows powered by Supporting Cast.

Slate Seeks Podcast Producers

~ jen

Slate is hiring two podcast producers. One position is for a Narrative Podcast Producer, and the other is for a Business and Technology Podcast Producer.

Here are some details about the Narrative Podcast Producer position:

Slate is looking for an experienced podcast producer to help them make future seasons of their smash hit Slow Burn and other scripted narrative shows.

The person we’re looking for has a keen grasp of all aspects of storytelling. They can identify the best tape from hours of interviews, and spot what’s missing while the interview is still in progress. They’re happy spending hours scouring news archives for the perfect clip. They can move adroitly between booking, recording, editing, project managing, and troubleshooting. They can track and integrate notes from multiple sides and turn around careful, sensitive edits and mixes on tight deadlines. The position can be located in Brooklyn, New York, or Washington, D.C.

Responsibilities include:

  • Work with writer-hosts to tell compelling stories in audio
  • Find archival footage and negotiate with rights-owners for licenses
  • Arrange interviews and oversee recording sessions, sometimes over remote connections
  • Edit and score recordings quickly and sensitively

Here are some details about the Business and Technology Podcast Producer position.

The person we’re looking for is a deft and speedy audio editor and adept booker and guest-wrangler. They have a sense of what works and what doesn’t in audio, an interest in technology, business and journalism, and a wealth of ideas. Ideally they’d have experience with and insight into both conversation-driven and scripted shows.

Responsibilities include:

  • Book guests, schedule and run recording sessions, edit, and mix complete episodes of some of our biggest podcasts
  • Work with writer-podcasters to bring scripted shows from conception to release: booking, recording, managing tape, editing, scoring, mixing
  • Work with editors and hosts to develop formats for new shows

For more details about either of these positions, visit the Slate websites where the job listings are posted.

Supporting Cast Helps Podcasters with Membership Revenue

~ jen

Supporting Cast wants to help podcasters with membership revenue. It will handle some of the more tedious and time consuming aspects that are involved in projects that are intended to make money for the podcaster. It enables the podcaster to work on other things – like creating content.

Invite your most passionate fans to pay for ad-free shows, bonus content, or early access. Supporting Cast lets your brand shine, while handling payments, private feed delivery, analytics, and customer support so you don’t have to.

Supporting Cast was created by the team that built Slate Plus, the largest podcast-centric membership program in the world. The team says they learned a lot from signing up nearly 50,000 members. Now, they’re sharing that with other podcasters.

What does Supporting Cast do?

  • They make it fast and easy for fans to subscribe to your podcast.
  • They keep your brand front and center. You can direct your listeners to a branded landing page with your logo and color scheme.
  • They can work with your developers to integrate with your website and registration system so users can convert without leaving. Podcasters own the listenership relationship either way.
  • They make it easy for podcasters to continue delivering ads to non-paying listeners.
  • They stick with your existing podcasting CMS – and don’t disrupt your current workflow.
  • They will integrate with your existing Stripe and Mailchimp accounts.
  • They handle customer support for you.

Podcasters who want to know more can sign up for a demo by filling out a form on the Supporting Cast website. There is no mention on the Supporting Cast website that says what their service costs.

Leon Neyfakh is Leaving Slate

~ jen

Leon Neyfakh announced in a thread of tweets that he will be leaving Slate “to start something new”. He is the host of Slate’s Slow Burn podcast. It appears that the “something new” will be a podcast called FIASCO.

The description of Slow Burn on Apple Podcasts says:

Leon Neyfakh excavates the strange subplots and forgotten characters of recent political history – and finds surprising parallels to the present. Season 1 of Slow Burn captured what it felt like to live through Watergate; Season 2 does the same with the saga of Bill Clinton’s impeachment.

There is not a whole lot of information in the thread of tweets about FIASCO. Leon Neyfakh described it this way: “It will be about the past – why the history we half-remember played out the way it did, and what marks it left on the world we live in.”

Also according to the thread of tweets, Andrew Parsons will be the executive producer of FIASCO. Andrew Parson was the person responsible for sound on Slow Burn. Michelle Kaplan will become an assistant producer of FIASCO. She served as a researcher on Slow Burn Season 2. Leon Neyfakh says that Slow Burn “will continue to evolve and flourish under Slate’s care.”

The first season of FIASCO will arrive in the first half of 2019. It will be about Bush v. Gore and the battle over the 2000 election. The second season of FIASCO will appear later in 2019. It will tell the story of the Iran-Contra scandal. To me, it sounds like fans of Slow Burn will probably enjoy listening to FIASCO.

Slate Seeks Director of Podcasts

~ jen

Slate is looking for a Director of Branded Podcasts to oversee their branded podcast group. The person who is hired for this job must have a passion for storytelling, a deep understanding of digital media, and an informed interest in the relationship between brands, podcasts, and listeners.

The Slate Group, established in 2008 by the Graham Holdings Company, is a multimedia entity with the mission of developing and managing a family of digitally-native content providers. The company consists of Slate, an award-wining digital publishing company, and Panoply, a premium podcast network.

Some Requirements for the Director of Branded Podcasts job include:

  • BA or BS degree required
  • Must have 5+ years of experience in content development and production for podcast, terrestrial, or satellite radio, or other audio medium.
  • Must be well connected to the larger community of independent producers and great at identifying talent
  • Extremely strong writing, communication, and presentation skills
  • Demonstrated ability to work with little to no guidance and think outside the box
  • Experience in juggling and prioritizing competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment
  • Proven ability to thrive in a dynamic environment and work as a team player

Some Key Responsibilities include:

  • Responsible for developing for smart, stimulating podcast ideas that engage our discerning listeners and offer unique value to our brand partners
  • Manage a team of in-house and freelance producers to write, structure, and produce branded podcasts for a diverse set of advertisers
  • Provide guidance and critical feedback on production tasks including recording, editing, mixing, scoring and publishing audio

Those who are interested in applying for this position should go read the Slate ad on Linkedin for full details. The job is listed as “Full-Time” and under the function “Sales, Production”.