News Corp Australia and Nova Entertainment have joined forces to produce Police Tape – a new true crime podcast series, to be hosted by Merrick Watts, launching on Friday 29 March.
Published under the True Crime Australia banner, Police Tape will take listeners behind the scenes like never before, as Watts speaks with some of the nation’s most elite police officers about their most memorable moments on the beat – and in the process unearths new insights about some of the biggest crimes of our times.
The podcast is a collaboration between Watts and Mark Morri, crime editor for The Daily Telegraph, and Charles Miranda, crime author and True Crime Australia editor.
The project is one of many new podcasts to be created by NewsCast – News Corp Australia’s new podcasting arm, announced at the company’s Come Together 2019 showcase.
Featuring blow-by-blow descriptions of the moments that mattered, the 10-part series reveals the thoughts and feelings of some of Australia’s most senior and recently retired police officers who give candid, gripping and highly personal accounts.
Emotion-charged recollections from these top-ranking officers take listeners deep inside some of the terrifying and confronting moments of their careers.
The Daily Telegraph’s Mark Morri, who has covered crime for four decades, said: “In Police Tape you’ll hear from the men and women who have rarely spoken openly about their involvement in some of Australia’s highest profile cases. Their blow-by-blow descriptions of the moments that matter will be something you’ll never forget.”
News360 executive editor Kathy Lipari said Police Tape demonstrated News Corp’s commitment to publishing quality journalism on all platforms and reflected unprecedented demand for and interest in true crime stories.
“This is our first podcast with Nova Entertainment, bringing together for the first time, the best audio producers with the nation’s best storytellers,” she said.
Watts said he was spellbound by the tales that were told in Police Tape.
“Like so many other people, I find these stories and people fascinating,” he said.
“The unexpected details, the sense of ‘being there’ and the knowledge of what law enforcement does to protect the public, intrigues me as much as anyone else. Hosting these conversations was an amazing experience.”
Jay Walkerden, Nova Entertainment’s head of podcasting, said: “With News Corp Australia’s high-value assets across print and digital, and Nova Entertainment’s expertise in audio production, combined with the scale of our combined sales force, this is the perfect partnership. Our joint focus is on creating high-quality, local productions with international appeal.”
Police Tape is sponsored by Swinburne Online, a leading provider of degrees in criminology, behavioural studies and psychology. Partnering with News Corp Australia and Nova Entertainment presents them with a unique opportunity to reach new students. Through Police Tape Swinburne Online will reach a national audience to help promote careers in the justice system.
Police Tape podcast launches on Friday 29 March, with a new episode being released each week, on Acast and wherever you access your podcasts. Each episode will be supported by extensive editorial coverage across print, web, social and radio.
Read more in Podcast Week – this and every Thursday at mediaweek.com.au and in the Mediaweek Morning Report.
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