News

If you took as an answer to that question the number of people -- and the number of new podcasting vendors -- attending Podcast Movement in Philadelphia this week, you would say, for sure, that podcasting has come a long way from the first PM conference five years ago. Let’s look at some of the figures being thrown around at the show this week.

Aside from the obvious challenges podcasters face every day, such as getting the right equipment, consistently creating compelling content, finding listeners, and generating enough revenue to make a living, there are much bigger challenges the podcasting industry faces. Here’s what we heard on Tuesday.

As Broadcast Attorney David Oxenford writes in his latest blog, the the FCC has released a Public Notice asking a number of questions about the audio marketplace. The Commission will use that information in a report to Congress. However, Oxenford believes they may also use it as a guide to the upcoming discussion on ownerships caps.

It could be, according to The Tennessean, which is saying: "An 11th-hour proposal by the music licensing company SESAC to change the Music Modernization Act could torpedo the landmark copyright legislation that is on the brink of becoming law, supporters of the legislation warn."

A panel of industry executives and experts will discuss the impact of deregulation and large-scale debt reduction on the radio industry in a session titled “Pillsbury’s Broadcast Finance 2018: Radio’s Debt Cloud Finally Lifts.” The session will be held Wednesday, September 26, 8:30-10:00 a.m., at the 2018 Radio Show in Orlando.

The lineup for the 2018 iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami on Saturday, November 3, will include performances by Pitbull, Nicky Jam, Steve Aoki, Farruko, Nacho, and Becky G with more artists to follow. The concert will again be hosted by Enrique Santos, with tickets for the general public going on sale August 3.

According to Standard Media Index, overall national advertising was up 5% in Q2 with digital still riding high, up 12 %. Social Media grew 45%, video-only websites were up 21%, content and TV websites were both up 18% and search was down 5%. Out-of-home media was up 9%, national TV was flat, and radio was down 1%. Print dropped a whopping 22%.

Hidden Truth: Transgender Movement, the second installment of a weekly hour-long podcast series created by civil rights attorney and host Jim Breslo, has debuted on the heels of wrapping his first season, Hidden Truth: Las Vegas Shooter.

Stephanie Perl has been appointed Senior Vice President and Market Manager for Entercom Hartford, effective Monday, August 6. She will be overseeing 1080 WTIC News Talk (WTIC-AM), 96.5 TIC FM (WTIC-FM), HOT 93.7 (WZMX-FM), and Lite 100.5 (WRCH-FM).

Pro Football Talk Live with Mike Florio, is adding former NFL quarterback Chris Simms and longtime NFL insider Peter King for a weekly two-hour simulcast.