Audio Ink

Programmatic is something both iHeartRadio and Spotify already offer advertisers, however, Pandora says it brings more to the table with its 73 million monthly active listeners. A pilot program will be launched with Volkswagen. Pandora will make its audio inventory available through deals with The Trade Desk, AdsWizz’s AudioMatic and MediaMath.

Live365 and a company called Empire Streaming announced late Monday that they are both now a part of a newly formed holding company called Media Creek, Inc. As part of the acquisitions, Media Creek has hired Rockie Thomas and Sean Lozensky, both formerly with AdsWizz. Thomas becomes the company's Chief Revenue Officer and Lozensky is named Chief Technology Officer.

The great Julius Erving, best known as Dr. J, has a new weekly podcast, House Call with Dr. J, available on reVolver Podcasts. Erving will host guests like Mark Cuban, Trevor Booker, Stedman Graham, Chuck D, and Kenneth Chenault as they discuss the moments in their lives that dared them to be great.

The New York Times’s audio news report, The Daily, will soon extend its current following of 4.5 million monthly unique listeners to the national radio audience. Beginning in April 2018, American Public Media will distribute a radio edition of the popular daily podcast to public radio listeners across the country.

Fox Sports Radio’s total podcast listens for the network's Monday through Friday lineup have reached 10.25 million across all platforms for the month of January. This latest benchmark is the result of record growth across FSR's weekday programming lineup.

Westwood One is broadcasting live from the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. The Westwood One Sports Alexa skill is available now with short interview clips of U.S. Olympians.

Five original, weekly programs will focus on business, sports, entertainment, and health. The shows will be hosted by personal finance expert Suze Orman, children's advocate Jim Steyer, sports photographer Andrew Bernstein, producer Todd Garner, and health food experts Michelle Davis and Matt Holloway.  

In episode #1, Nielsen Audio Managing Director Brad Kelly (pictured) takes listeners on a journey into the The Rain Forrest of Radio with Nielsen's VP of Audience Insights Jon Miller. Nielsen says new episodes will be released periodically. You can listen to the first episode HERE.

In a deal announced Wednesday, TargetSpot will now serve as Entercom’s exclusive 3rd party national ad sales rep for streaming audio.

So far, about 275 companies nationwide have publicly announced they would be giving bonuses to employees this year, thanks to a tax cut politicians in Washington recently passed. PodcastOne is jumping on the bonus bandwagon. PodcastOne Founder Norman Pattiz announced Tuesday that all full-time employees will be getting a $1,000 cash bonus.