You probably already know all the news from this week after we accidentally included a journalist from The Atlantic on one of our highly confidential Fresh Air Whatsapp groups. As a result, this reporter (who is actually discredited with a long record of posting fake news) had access to the intricate details of future podcast launches, a discussion about why some guests never wear headphones no matter how much you tell them to, and multiple waffle-based recipes.
I hope you enjoyed last week’s collectors-edition newsletter written by Richard – Director of Pressing Send on the Email – in my absence. It was crammed full of podcast geekery and one person said it may have been the best newsletter ever. Although that person was my wife who was just trying to wind me up. While Richard was scribing away, I was with my best friends at the Premier League Darts in Cardiff watching Luke Littler throw a nine-darter. During the day we played golf. Yes, we are all in our late 40s, and are walking talking stereotypes of middle-aged men, for which I make no apology whatsoever.
The Podcast Show
I’ll start with your regular reminder to book your tickets to The Podcast Show in Islington, London. It happens in May, involves anyone who is anyone in podcasting and inspires thousands of great conversations. If you want to learn more about the medium, attend some great talks, see shows being recorded live, go to some great networking sessions and perhaps even spot a Fresh Air team member reluctantly wearing a garish bright blue T-Shirt, then get your tickets now.
No Podcast Ads on the BBC
The BBC has decided not to go ahead with its plans to allow advertising on third party platforms in the UK. Last year, they floated the idea as a way to monetise beeb shows on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere to UK audiences, rather than restrict this activity to overseas listeners as it does now.
Readers with longer memories may remember I thought this could have been quite a good way to encourage big advertisers into the podcast world and create a trickle-down effect for the rest of the industry. Unusually for me, I was quite strident about it in this very newsletter, however I quickly discovered that this was an extremely unpopular opinion to hold, and so I shut up about it.
One of the companies who went into battle on the issue was Goalhanger who rely on UK advertisers for a big chunk of their revenue. They feared that the BBC would come in and gobble up a massive proportion of the available media spend just at the point when advertisers are investing more in podcasting. They also pointed out that the shows produced with public money should be ad-free in the UK, as they are on every other medium. So it now turns out that Gary Lineker was right and I was wrong. Well done him.
AI Podcast Hosts
Will AI podcast hosts replace humans? A year or so ago, computer generated presenters were a fun novelty, and we all enjoyed laughing at them. Now we’re having to confront the fact that people are actually listening to these things. This article is an example of actual serious discussion taking place floating the idea that listeners and producers may prefer AI hosts to humans. Advantages apparently include:
– Cost effective production
– Quick turnaround times
– Multilingual podcasting for global reach
– Consistent voice and tone
The only one I’ll give them here is the multilingual thing. If we can record an entertaining show in one language and genuinely clone the host’s voice to get them presenting the same show in any language, that’s gold. It will happen very quickly and open up markets for producers and sponsors that would previously have been closed to them.
As for the others, I’d rather pay for a human, take the time for a human producer to produce said human, and have some human variation in their expression. Call me an old human stick-in-the-mud.*
* I hereby reserve the right to change all these opinions if robot presenters become the most commonly consumed and/or most lucrative option in the future.
New BBC World Service Commissions
The BBC World Service is, of course, one of Great Britain’s greatest gifts to the rest of the world, along with the world wide web, the steam locomotive, Shakespeare, parliamentary democracy, football, the telephone, The Beatles, Dolly the sheep and Prince Harry. A beacon of unbiased news for millions around the globe, the World Service has been a source of priceless information for those with no other source of truth. These days they also make podcasts, and they have used their brand to create thoughtful, valuable work that genuinely adds something distinctive to the audio space. Obviously in the end they’ll have something presented by Jamie from Made in Chelsea, but until that time we can all cherish what they’re putting out.
This week they’ve announced a new slate of commissions including the return of award-winning ’Good Bad Billionaire’ and a fifth season of ‘Dear Daughter’. As with radio, the World Service is an often-ignored treasure trove of great content produced by passionate people who like just putting their headphones on and crafting something beautiful.
Annie Day shines a light on Albert Square…
I haven’t watched a soap regularly in years but couldn’t resist watching the live 40th anniversary special of Eastenders recently. This series is hosted by one of the shows leading actors and hears from people who started their careers in soaps, both acting and writing. Lacey is never going to be the next Kirsty Young, but the guests are fascinating and there are some interesting behind the scenes stories particularly from Anita Dobson and writers Sarah Phelps and Jimmy McGovern. A lot of people are sniffy about soaps but a common thread throughout is the pride the guests have in their time working on them, and how their careers were shaped by these iconic shows.
Beckie Bird’s outie is a lover of podcasts…
If you haven’t watched Severance yet, you need to, it’s brilliant! Season 2 just finished on Apple TV, and the companion podcast offers an episode-by-episode breakdown, hosted by Adam Scott (who stars in and produces the show) and Ben Stiller (the director). The cinematography in Severance is absolutely stunning, and the podcast dives deep behind the scenes, sharing anecdotes about Stiller, the actors, and the complex filming process. The guests are a great mix of the show’s creatives and cast, making for a perfect balance between detailed episode breakdowns and insights into the entire production process, from writing to filming. One of the best features is the inclusion of fan questions, which bring up thoughts we’ve all had while watching. But what I’ve enjoyed most is how passionate Scott and Stiller are, you can really tell they love every aspect of making this series.
What we’ve been listening to this week
Sharks.
Until this week, sharks never made a sound. Now they do, thanks to scientists.
What noise do these ancient, beautiful but terrifying predators of the deep ocean make? Do they sing in the dark or make a low frequency growl as they creep up on their unsuspecting prey?
Well, you know the click you get when you press the top of a retractable pen? That.
What we’ve been doing this week
We have a new member of the Fresh Air team. His name is Harry, he’s a specialist science & technology producer, working on a project that we’ll tell you about soon. But tech is not his only area of expertise – he makes amazing cakes. He won Netflix’s ‘Crazy Delicious’ and was shortlisted to go on The Great British Bake Off, losing out to an eventual winner. On Wednesday, he brought an enormous coffee and walnut cake into the office and Michaela – Director of Content and Head of Loud Nose Blows – nearly lost her mind. What can he do with a Bird’s Eye Potato Waffle? Is Waffle Cake a thing? We can’t wait to find out. Welcome to Harry – our brand new Head of Cakes.
