iHeartMedia to buy Triton Digital

• iHeartMedia is to buy Triton Digital for $230m from EW Scripps. Triton Digital owns podcast host Omny Studio, podcast metrics, analytics services, and dynamic advertising. It’s one in a series of podcasting ad-tech acquisitions.

  • EW Scripps bought Triton Digital for $150m in October 2018; Triton Digital paid $8.5m for Omny Studio in June 2019.
  • EW Scripps previously sold Stitcher to SiriusXM for $325m in July 2020. Stitcher and Midroll cost Scripps $54.5m in 2016.
  • iHeartMedia also owns podcast hosts Voxnest and Spreaker, podcast producer How Stuff Works, Mediabase and Media Monitors, radio software company RCS, and radio news website Inside Radio.
  • Here’s a deep dive into Triton Digital’s Podcast Metrics from Sounds Profitable.

• AdsWizz has been certified by the IAB Tech Lab “for audibility” - with this in place, they say, publishers and advertisers can now know for certain whether an ad was heard or not. (To classify as an “audible” ad, the audio ad must play for 2 seconds with the player unmuted.)

• AdsWizz’s AudioMatic tool is the latest to get a deep-dive by Sounds Profitable. The tool is a scalable way to reach podcast and audio listeners.

• Zencastr has raised $4.6m in funding, and will roll out its video feature in beta.

  
  Sep 1 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• In Australia, SCA’s PodcastOne Australia has been rebranded to LiSTNR. The new LiSTNR app only contains podcasts and radio from SCA, but “a selection of premium PodcastOne US titles will also be available”. The company launched PodcastOne Australia in September 2017.

Get the free Podnews newsletter for more like this

Get it free

• A new pressure group, Podcasters Declare, is calling for a climate category in Apple Podcasts. An open letter argues that Apple’s progressive corporate environment policies should be matched by a place for climate change in Apple Podcasts. (Podnews agrees: we’ve signed it.)

• Tucker Carlson is to produce a thrice-weekly exclusive video podcast from April. The broadcaster will continue to produce Tucker Carlson Tonight on FOX News.

• PodcastOS is a Notion dashboard that helps podcasters “pitch, produce, publish, promote & monetize their podcasts.”

• Podcast Movement 21 speaker submissions are now open. The event is in Nashville TN in August.

• People: Australia’s Podshape has hired Whitney Quayle as an account manager. She previously worked for Mamamia. Meanwhile TuneIn has made a number of appointments to their board.

  
  This link is no longer available, as at Sep 1 2023

• In France, the ACPM has posted their January rankings. Culture Générale is still #1. An incomplete ranker, one of two in the country, it measures participating publishers only.

• Will Clubhouse kill podcasting? On his personal blog, our Editor has some thoughts.

Facebook users: we’re sorry, but we’re currently unavailable on Facebook thanks to a dispute with the Australian Government. That also means we’ve removed comments on some pages of our website. We’re sorry.

Tips and tricks - with PODGO

• How to Get a Podcast on Spotify (The Podcast Host)

• How to design impressive cover art that stands out (Spoken Word Marketing)

Podcast News - with CBC Podcasts

From CBC Podcasts: Uncover: Dead Wrong takes us through the almost unbelievable story of Glen Assoun, who spent more than 17 years in prosion for the murder of Brenda Way, a crime he did not commit.

Pantsuit Politics has been highlighted by Apple for their Apple Podcasts spotlight. It’s an Acast show.

Wondery’s American Scandal has released the first of a new season focusing on Bernie Madoff.