SAG-AFTRA joins Writers Guild in strike

• After Hollywood writers started a strike in early May, the actor union Sag-Aftra joined the strike on Friday for what they call a fair contract. The union also represents some journalists, radio personalities, broadcasters and voice actors. It is likely to put a hold on some podcast production, since it includes voice acting and narration. It’s the first time both writers and performers have been on strike simultaneously for 63 years. (And yes, there’s a podcast for that: Deadline’s Strike Talk).

• Spotify has reportedly made some users’ private playlists public. Playlists can include podcasts, the titles of which may reveal that someone is fighting alcoholism, is exploring their sexuality, or is fighting mental or physical illness.

• A number of news podcasts are being censored by Meta’s Facebook, Instagram and Threads in Canada, after the Canadian government passed Bill C-18, a new law requiring tech companies to pay to link to news content. The 905er podcast is one of those affected. In a video, Canadian YouTuber and journalist J.J. McCullough calls it “ill-conceived” and akin to extortion; our Editor has personal thoughts too.

• Is YouTube Music rolling out podcasts internationally, as claimed on Friday? In Australia we see podcasts promoted in the search box (but not actually available in search); Podnews readers in Canada, New Zealand and the UK aren’t seeing podcasts. We asked Google early Friday, but they didn’t respond. We’ve asked again for you.

• In the UK, the Audio Production Awards 2023 have been announced by organisers AudioUK. The Awards are opening earlier this year to give producers more time to enter. One category, Grassroots Production, will be free, to recognise the particular challenges faced in that sector.

• PodInbox can now accept typed messages as well as voice messages. Turn that feature on in your profile if you want them.

Moves and hires

• Jamit, a podcast creator and audio platform, has appointed Koromone Asabe-Yobaere as chief brand officer. She previously served as Managing Editor at media publication TechCabal.

A Discussion About the State of the Podcast Industry

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Signal Awards Managing Director Deondric Royster, with special guests and Signal Academy jurors Joni Deutsch (Vice President of Podglomerate) & Maurice Cherry (Creator and Host, Revision Path), will host a discussion about the state of the podcast industry next Thursday, July 27th at 3pm EST. This virtual panel event will cover some of the hottest topics in the podcasting industry, such as the use of AI in podcasting, what the sunsetting of Stitcher means, and more! The panel will also explain everything you need to know about entering the Signal Awards this season and the judging process. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a live Q&A with our panelists. If you are interested in submitting work ahead of our Extended Entry Deadline on August 11th and have any questions for the Signal team, this virtual info session is a great way to learn more! RSVP Here!

The Tech Stuff - with RSS․com

• Podfans is now listed on the Podcast Index and our new podcast apps page; it’s the only podcast player that supports all the new podcast namespace features. You can join the waitlist on the website.

• In the Podcasting 2.0 podcast this week, Adam Curry looks back at 20 years of podcasting, and what he regrets about Apple’s involvement.

• The Podcast Host reviews the Sennheiser Profile microphone. (We reviewed the microphone, and its boom arm, earlier this year).

• Podcast host? If a creator wants to delete an episode, it’s not enough to delete the episode from an RSS feed: delete the episode’s audio, too (and invalidate the cache) from your CDN (or, at least, rename it to render it unplayable). Some podcast platforms and players retain metadata from deleted episodes, thus keeping them playable even after a creator has tried to remove them, we’ve found.

Podcast News - with the Radioinfo Asia Podcast Awards

Evelien Kong is a battle-tested veteran TV producer and director, and is creator and host of the influential podcast Reppin, which aims to present representation in a multifaceted manner that transcends race, gender, and orientation. The conversations with guests touch on personal traumas, overcoming challenges and turning pain into success; it’s posted more than 70 episodes.

Does this podcast feature Banksy’s voice? The Banksy Story is new from BBC Radio 4 today, getting you closer than ever before to Banksy’s secret world to tell the story of the graffiti kid who made spraying walls into high art, the anonymous figure who became a household name, and the cultural phenomenon who bites the hand that feeds him.

A new semi-monthly podcast, Security Heroes, sheds light on the positive aspects of keeping people safe while recognizing these true heroes of society and exploring the challenges they face and the industry as a whole. It’s made by Athena Security.

Three doors down has been announced by Tortoise Media - a five-part investigative series telling the story of Sharon Henderson’s 30 year campaign for justice after the brutal murder of her seven-year-old daughter. She claims it’s a botched police investigation; the podcast highlights systemic police injustice and failures. It’s out tomorrow.

Judge Gina returns for a new season today from ARN. Each week a new case involving both celebrities and everyday Australians will be brought to the court of Judge Gina. Both parties get to present their evidence to Judge Gina who will then make a binding decision.

Bourke Street in Melbourne VIC, Australia, is a place where busking musicians are often to be found. The current season in StreetMusicMap Radio focuses Beyond Bourke Street, looking at buskers in a digital world. It’s produced by Daniel Bacchieri, as part of his PhD at Monash University. There is more information on the website.