Australian True Crime: Live with Andrew Rule & Julia Robson
A live episode of Australian True Crime will stream live at 8 pm AEST on Saturday 18 July. Early bird tickets start at $14.90+fees and are on sale from www.nottoodeep.com.au. Tickets are valid for the live show and replay, allowing fans to ‘watch live or watch later’.
Australian True Crime hosts Meshel Laurie and Emily Webb will be live in studio with Julia Robson while Andrew Rule is joining via video link.
TEG Dainty is promoting the second instalment of Australian True Crime: Live. Following the success of their debut virtual event in May, Laurie and Webb will once again connect fans with interesting people – this time Julia Robson (Chasing Charlie) and Andrew Rule (Chopper/Underbelly). Rule will talk about his time and experiences working with the infamous Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, and Robson will take viewers behind the scenes of the hit podcast Chasing Charlie.
PodcastOne listening doubles during Covid-19
PodcastOne Australia listening over the COVID-19 period, March 1 to June 30 has increased 100%, parent company SCA revealed this week.
“Following a huge month for live steaming and radio podcast listening in May we expected to see huge growth when compared to the same time last year, SCA chief sales officer Brian Gallagher said.
“We’ve experienced month-on-month growth across the whole network with Hamish and Andy, The Howie Games, Matt and Alex All Day Breakfast Show, The Briefing, Emsolation, Motley Fool, Just The Gist, Global Truths, Birth Baby and Beyond and ListenABLE, being the biggest growth titles,” SCA head of podcasting – PodcastOne Australian, Grant Tothill, told Mediaweek.
“Pleasingly, the audience increase across the network has been supported by an increase in advertising revenue, with PodcastOne Australia having its best quarter since launch across the April – June period, with June being the biggest revenue month to date, allowing us to end the financial year 100% up year on year.
“To see increased listening translating into increased revenue is a positive sign podcasting is growing as a new commercial medium in Australia.”
Stitcher changes hands for half a billion
The US podcast platform Stitcher is changing hands for around $500m according to US reports this week. The buyer is satellite radio giant SiriusXM, the home of Howard Stern among many others. SiriusXM is also the owner of music-streamer Pandora.
Until the deal is closed and there is commentary from SiriusXM, there has been speculation about what it plans for the Stitcher portfolio and whether it would remain a standalone business or if the brands would be integrated into different parts of the satellite radio business.
The Stitcher business reportedly had revenues of close to $100m last year. Sticker cost its current owner Scripps $80m when it combined two podcasting businesses in 2016. Scripps is also the owner of Triton Digital who work with many businesses in Australia including Grant Broadcasting and Planet Broadcasting. Triton Digital also measures podcast downloads in Ausrtalia and publishes the monthly Australian Podcast Ranker.
Everyone relax: Wil Anderson & Charlie Clausen milestone
Planet Broadcasting’s podcast has celebrated its 10th anniversary this month with an anniversary episode. Hosts Wil Anderson and Charlie Clausen hosted the first episode in July 2010. Across the years Wil and Charlie rested the podcast for a while and also an alternative was started called Fofop with “guest Charlies”.
The team at Tofop includes artist James Fosdike who supplies the great artwork. Michael Wayne (MicHAL) is the show’s tech producer who gets it to air. Veteran TV announcer John Deeks supplies the intro (“The program is not suitable for anyone under the age of 15, or anyone who enjoys succinct, coherent conversation”). The anniversary special paid tribute to the Walking the Room podcast hosts Greg Behrendt and Dave Anthony who have helped the hosts build a US audience for Tofop. “We should mention Sam Cav too who is our silent partner in this almost business,” said Anderson. “And thanks to Planet Broadcasting too where we are very happy to be,” added Charlie.
Cath and Wippa together
Let’s Talk About Sarcoma is a podcast that looks at the expected, the unexpected and everything in between post sarcoma diagnosis. The podcast is hosted by Nova’s Wippa and podcaster Cathrine Mahoney (I Quit My Day Job) and presented by Sock it To Sarcoma and the Cooper Rice-Brading Foundation.
Over five episodes the hosts will be talking about all aspects of sarcoma. Each week we will be joined by patients, family and friends, medics, specialists in the sarcoma field as well as hearing from the two foundations behind creating this podcast; Sock It To Sarcoma and the Cooper Rice-Brading Foundation.
Wippa told Mediaweek: “This is a project that myself and Cathrine are very passionate and invested in. Back in 2017 we met and incredible young man called Cooper Rice-Brading. Cooper had recently been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma and we met him through Nova Radio in Sydney where we both worked. We were immediately taken with what an articulate, strong and wise beyond his years young man he was. We attend an inaugural fundraising event where Coop spoke and we were so in awe of what a courageous young man he is, he couldn’t shake the pair of us after that and a strong bond and friendship began. Although Cooper sadly lost his battle, his incredible legacy and foundation live on. Since the inception of this podcast we have also been honoured to meet Mandy Basson and see first-hand the work her daughter Abbie started with Sock It To Sarcoma.”
Mahoney meanwhile continues her I Quit My Day Job podcast which is up to episode 44. The series had been on News Corp’s WHIMN platform, but when that closed down she has continued as an indie. Go Cath!
Gritty Pretty Radio launches
For over a decade as a magazine and beauty editor, Eleanor Pendleton has set out to cut the crap from the Australian beauty industry via Gritty Pretty. In her new podcast, Gritty Pretty Radio, Pendleton opens her beauty bible to podcast listeners with the help of co-host and beauty director Erin Cook.
In each episode of Gritty Pretty Radio, Eleanor and Erin will be joined by beauty-room heavyweights to discuss the trends and the changing nature of the beauty industry. So far season one of Gritty Pretty Radio has featured interviews with Queer Eye’s contagiously positive grooming expert Jonathan van Ness, and local supermodel turned international business-powerhouse Miranda Kerr.
Listen to Gritty Pretty Radio here.
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Covid-19 safe studio principles released
The Australian radio and podcast industry sector consultation group has issued a set of Covid-19 Safe Studio Principles to support the broadcast industry to safely produce live and pre-recorded content.
The guidelines have been developed by AFTRS, the national screen and broadcast school, in consultation with industry, to provide a resource that can assist with safety while Covid-19 restrictions and containment measures are in place. Whilst many stations and studios are already working with safety measures in place, the Safe Studio Principles provides a centralised document all sectors are welcome to use.
The consultation group comprises the Chief Medical Officers Department Australian Department of Health, Commercial Radio Australia, Australian Film Radio and Television School, Australian Broadcasting Commission, First Nations Media Australia, SBS, TAFE NSW, Community Media Training Organisation and Community Broadcasting Association of Australia.
The guidelines offer advice on general infection controls as well as specific advice for safe studio principles and for broadcasting in remote communities, as well as a risk assessment template and notes on developing a risk mitigation strategy.
“Whilst our industry did not shut down, it has been disrupted and coping admirably in such unusual times. There are challenges with working in studios. And the industry knows how incredibly important it is that we work in a way that ensures our community and teams ares not exposed to unnecessary risk,” said AFTRS head of radio Fyona Smith (pictured). “I’d like to thank the members of the industry consultation group. It was a unique project across all sectors and the power of a collective effort is evident.”
The COVID-19 Safe Studio Principles are available to download here.
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