Eleven year-old maths genius hosts a new podcast

• Magellan has unveiled US podcasting’s top advertisers for September: new to the top 15 is banking company CapitalOne, and a pillow company called MyPillow. #1 is still ZipRecruiter.

• James Purnell, boss of BBC Radio (among other things), shares plenty of stats about BBC podcasts. The broadcaster had 63m global downloads in September: probably a global #2 after NPR, who report 143m.

  
  Aug 7 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• The nominations for the UK’s Audio Production Awards have been announced. Podcasters are featured across the nominations, but special congratulations to Eva Krysiak, Lucy Dearlove, Mike Holt, Neil Cowling, Sue Nelson and Tamsyn Kent who’ve all been nominated for Best Podcast Producer. The live awards ceremony will be on 22 November.

• Sonaar Music have launched a new Wordpress podcaster theme: Speakerpress.

• Audioburst want you to stump their audio search engine. Their #AskNewsFeed challenge is open now, and you can win a US$100 Amazon gift card for testing out their voice search.

• Tampa Bay FL, USA has two new podcast studios for hire.

Opinion

• Writing in RadioINFO, Podnews’s Editor James Cridland points out that broadcast radio’s measurement is much less standardised and more fractured than podcasting.

Aug 7 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

In Australia, there are three sets of broadcast radio research. Commercial Radio Australia mentions GfK, who are used for the metro areas; but they also produce other sets of research using Xtra Insights. Community radio isn’t in either of these, so they have to commission additional work using McNair Ingenuity Research.

• Medium writer uché makes the point that Spotify is missing some “low-hanging fruit” to make their podcast experience better:

If you’re going to do exclusive deals with podcasters, then the least you can do is send out a push notification when new episodes come out.

Podcasts

Tai Asks Why is hosted by an eleven year-old certified maths genius. Tai tackles big ideas, like climate change and love, bringing his fresh, honest and new perspectives to timeless topics. Tai’s quick wit will have you laughing, crying and considering things in a new light. (CBC)

Dreamboy is a new podcast from Night Vale Presents. The podcast is a mystery about dreams, unexplained deaths, relentless change and the parts of ourselves that we wish other people knew to look for. (PRX)

Welcome to Patchwork, a comedy podcast from Melbourne VIC, Australia, has a special guest of Andy Lee this week (the one from Hamish and Andy that isn’t Hamish). (NOVA Entertainment / Acast)

Blackwood is a new horror audio drama from Skylark Media. It’s a fictional story about three teenagers uncovering a conspiracy, and the ever-present threat presented by people in power, who work secretly to control everything they can. (Skylark Media / Wondery / ART19)

Team Never Quit has joined Westwood One. It’s “an authentic, positive, and inspiring show that implores listeners to face their greatest challenges.” (Westwood One)

Distillations, a podcast from the Science History Institute, is currently carrying a miniseries about treating America’s opioid addiction. The podcast is a rigorously-researched history of science podcast produced by the Science History Institute in Philadelphia.

It Seemed Smart was launched yesterday by Vox Media and SB Nation. Promised are absurd stories of stolen bats, pirated play calls, renegade cross-country road racers, and fantasy football’s own insider trading scandal. (SB Nation / Vox Media / ART19)

Listicles

• 5 business podcasts that are anything but boring (The Globe and Mail)
• 5 Fun Fact Podcasts That Will Make You A Know-It-All (DiscoverPods)

Your support is, as ever, gratefully received. You’ve made enhancements to the Podnews website possible today, including better layout of the podcast pages and the top navigation bar for smaller phones, especially the iPod touch and iPhone SE. The podcast search is also more comprehensive. Thank you to people like Moriarty, James Masterton, Mikel Ellcessor, Nick Panella and Sean Callanan for your kind new patronage over the past few weeks.