Once upon a time I used to cover politics here in Washington as a reporter for Bloomberg TV & Radio. I spent countless hours at the U.S. Capitol and the White House.

I also own political pins going back to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and cherish my book collection, including a first edition To Seek a Newer World by Senator Robert F. Kennedy from 1967. I also consider myself lucky. I have met four presidents - Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

No longer a political journalist, I still listen to C-SPAN Radio when driving around the nation’s capital. There’s nothing more riveting than a congressional hearing on agricultural exports or defense spending. My tongue, by the way, is firmly in cheek.

So, yes, I’m addicted to politics; an addiction fueled by our crazy times.

Without skewing left or right, I thought I would recommend some podcasts to help you find answers to one simple question - what the hell is really happening in American politics today?

Podcasts are an excellent way to take a crash course on a subject and get up-to-speed on timely matters quickly. So if you don’t follow American politics closely, I would recommend these shows for a balanced diet of insights and analysis:

• The NPR Politics Podcast - This daily show offers dispatches from the wild world of politics and features NPR’s crackerjack political reporters like Tamara Keith, Elena Moore and Domenico Montanaro.

• The Ezra Klein Show - From the The New York Times, this show attracts top guests and offers timely insights. I highly recommend the recent episode with Nate Silver, the political guru and polling expert.

• Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar - This podcast is on a mission to remain fair-minded and hold elected officials accountable. Repped by iHeart, this show has a healthy following on YouTube with more than two million subscribers.

• Potomac Watch from WSJ Opinion - This show leans right of center. But at the end of the day, Paul Gigot and his Opinion team at The Wall Street Journal offer insights that cut through the b.s. (Full disclosure: I helped launch this podcast back in 2015 so it’s nice to see it’s still publishing daily.)

• To the Contrary with Charlie Sykes - Repped by Acast, this podcast is hosted by a conservative who calls ‘em as he sees ‘em. No longer a Republican, Sykes has made a good living as a contrarian during the Trump years.

Flashback: Here I am covering Bush versus Gore at the U.S. Supreme Court in December, 2000 - before my hair turned gray.

Editor’s Note - Are you heading to Podfest in Orlando in January? I’m speaking on Ka Ching! Ways to Monetize YouTube Beyond AdSense. So let me know if you plan to attend and let’s catch up. Message me here.

Bio: An award-winning podcaster since 2006, John Wordock runs his own media consulting firm. He served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One as part of the Cumulus Podcast Network. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal. He currently works as a business reporter and multimedia journalist for WTOP in Washington, D.C.

In the spirit of Halloween, I harnessed the wonders of AI to create another song.

This one carries a bluesy, haunting, scary theme.

For those struggling with discoverability, for those wondering about revenue, for those searching for your next job, this song is for you.

“The algorithm is a haunted house. Trapped in the walls like a quiet mouse. I’ve got the Halloween podcast blues.”

Happy Halloween!

And pass the candy bowl. I’ll take a Snickers.

Tap below to listen…

Editor’s Note: Are you planning to attend Podfest in Orlando in January? If so, let’s plan to meet up. I’m speaking on “Ka Ching! Ways to Monetize YouTube Beyond AdSense.” Details to come…

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Bio: An award-winning podcaster since 2006, John Wordock runs his own media consulting firm. He served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One as part of the Cumulus Podcast Network. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal. He currently works as a business reporter and multimedia journalist for WTOP in Washington, D.C.

This year’s two-day Podcast Movement was amped up and appropriately so.

Held in a music venue called Terminal Five - once the site of a nightclub shut down by police for rampant drug use - this year’s Podcast Movement was definitely high on something.

And that something was podcasting.

This year’s creator event was tightly-scheduled and fast-moving, a definite upgrade from past conferences that seemed to mosey along. Kudos to Bryan Barletta, Molly DeMellier and Tom Webster at Sounds Profitable for making things pop.

I enjoyed the conference and left the show with a renewed sense of purpose. Even though artificial intelligence is going to kill us all soon, I felt a stronger sense of community.

The Oracle of Podcasting

All this was brought home by Webster, the oracle of our industry. His keynote address reinforced many concerns hanging over our community. His talk was blunt and focused. Point blank he asked: What are we even doing?

He also raised serious concerns about Netflix, urged the stars of the industry to show up, and recommended we create a marketing campaign similar to Got Milk?

Regarding Netflix, I highly recommend podcasters check out the streaming giant’s earnings calls. You can find them on YouTube. They are quite telling. The podcast chatter from co-CEO Ted Sarandos has been brief, boilerplate and unimaginative, and Webster is right to call them out for walling off podcast content.

Summing Up the Conference in One Word

Curious about how others viewed the show this year, I also surveyed ten attendees and asked for one word to describe the conference. I think the responses reflect the times in which we live and the fractures in our community. Here’s what I got:

• Divided

• Confused

• Different

• Torn

• Moody

• Challenged

• Dark

• Intimate

• Change

• Sweaty

Podcasting As a Mirror

I also encountered an undercurrent of concern. For those frustrated right now, they should remember podcasting very much mirrors the current U.S. economy. You have the top one percent buying their vacation homes and sports cars. Then you have the frustrated middle class, socked by higher prices (in this case, for podcasters, those higher prices can take the form of video production costs.) And then you have the struggling lower class, who are wondering if they have a future in this business.

Where Are the Jobs?

Another question I encountered: Who is hiring? As a journalist who covers the economy from Washington, D.C., I can say we are stuck in a low hire, low fire job market. The war with Iran and the rise of AI have frozen hiring plans for many industries, not just ours. For those looking for work, bookmark the Sounds Profitable and Podnews job boards. And if you live in the New York City area, the NAB Show New York conference is holding a Career Fair on October 21-22.

My Favorite Slide

As a multimedia guy who moderated a panel at Podcast Movement 2022 in Dallas called Pivot to Video (one of the only video panels that year) I loved the message from Greg Glenday about audio versus video. The CEO of Acast put it bluntly. “The format argument is over,” he said. “It’s both.”

There’s Another Babka?

As I stood in line waiting for my coffee in Grand Central one morning, I kept thinking about that funny scene from Seinfeld when Jerry and Elaine tried to buy a babka. If chocolate and cinnamon babka can co-exist at a popular New York City bakery, so too can audio and video podcasts. They can both sit on the same shelf. But we now need to figure out how to resolve the audience measurement issues, and build a bridge between the IAB and AMP camps. I’ll save that hornet’s nest discussion for a future column.

Finally…

It’s the people who make our industry special. So it was great seeing Golda Arthur, Odile Beniflah, Michael Biemolt, Easter Bohanon, James Boggs, Stephanie Chan, Chris Colbert, Cathy Csukas, Erica Farmer, Joe Gangemi, John Goforth, Owen Grover, Dave Hanley, Jeremy Lermitte, Larry Linietsky, Graham Litten, Ben Mathis, Neil Mody, E.B. Moss, Jay Nachlis, Heather Osgood, Mathew Passy, Irene Picco, Maxime Piquette, Willie Sanchez, Sim Sarna, Jeremy Sinon, Jay Soderberg, Charles Steinhauer, Elliott Strunk, Emma Sweet, Rob Walch and Steve Wilson.

If I forgot you, my apologies.

And special thanks to the Apple team for putting on their rooftop shindig. Always great catching up with Jake Shapiro, Lauren Osen, Patrick Cherry and Ted Hosmann.

Now onto Podcast Movement 2027!

Obligatory Bio: In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock runs his own media consulting firm. He served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He currently works as a business reporter and multimedia journalist for WTOP in Washington, D.C.

I was waiting for a bus in Alexandria, Virginia.

Two planes had already hit the World Trade Center in New York that morning and I was on my way to work at The Associated Press.

Then… BOOM!

American Airlines Flight 77 had slammed into the Pentagon.

“They got the Pentagon,” I muttered to myself, hearing the explosion from my bus stop four miles away.

I hopped on the next bus to the Pentagon and went to the scene. I had just started the day before as a reporter at the AP Broadcast Center so my journalism instincts kicked in.

It took a few minutes but I managed to get through to the newsroom on my prehistoric cell phone and filed an eyewitness account from the scene.

Workers were streaming out of the building. Smoke clouds were rising. Emergency vehicles were arriving. Sirens were blaring.

It was chaos. I felt like I was watching an Oliver Stone war movie.

Some 184 Americans lost their lives that day at the Pentagon. Some 59 died on the plane, another 125 in the building. Overall, almost three-thousand people died that day from the Pentagon to New York City to Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Ways to Remember

If you’re a podcaster with an episode dropping on September 11th this year, here’s how you could pause to tastefully mention the moment based on your genre:

News - You could discuss how the media world was much different back then. TV and Radio still reigned and newspapers still had sway. News-hungry people turned to cable news channels like CNN for the very latest. Americans were glued to their TVs for days.

Business - You could mention how the attacks shut down the financial markets for almost a week. In a rare move, the New York Stock Exchange closed for four days after 9/11. The big board is literally a short walk from Ground Zero so Wall Street was dramatically impacted by the terrorist attack. The NYSE would not open until the following Monday.

Society & Culture - American life changed following that dark day. We started taking our shoes off at the airport. Our luggage gets examined more carefully now. Bomb sniffing dogs are common at airports, major sporting events and political conventions. Surveillance cameras are everywhere as authorities watch for the next bad guy.

Sports - The NFL and Major League Baseball went dark for several days following 9/11. You could talk about how unusual that was. You could also discuss how President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch at the World Series that year at Yankee Stadium as the city was healing. Clips of that moment are still shared on social media today.

Technology - You could note how the world was very different back then. No Facebook. No iPhones. No YouTube. No podcasts. Communicating was much tougher.

History - You can talk about how this moment prompted a shift. America turned the page and started a new chapter. America went from the post-Cold War era to the War on Terror. Afghanistan. Iraq. Forever Wars.

Arts - Almost two dozen Broadway shows closed right after 9/11 and the Great White Way would remain dark for several days.

Other Ways to Remember

Charity Links - You could find a worthy 9/11 charity and drop a link in your episode description. To this day, first responders who rushed to the scene are still succumbing to cancer and other ailments. So there’s no shortage of worthwhile causes.

Pay a Visit - In New York City this September for Podcast Movement? Find an hour to visit lower Manhattan. When I worked at the Cumulus Podcast Network, my office was literally a five minute walk from the 9/11 Memorial. I would sometimes visit and pay my respects. You should too.

In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock runs his own consulting firm. He served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He currently works as a business reporter and multimedia journalist for WTOP in Washington, D.C.

I’ve been here this week soaking up the sun.

And answering my phone.

My phone started blowing up Wednesday morning, when my old home Cumulus Podcast Network made some serious personnel cuts, including axing SVP Carolyn Chauncey, VP Jay Soderberg and executive producer Tanya Bustos.

Cumulus has been hurting financially for several years now. So I wasn’t shocked. The legacy radio company is mired in bankruptcy and searching for a way out. And Heath Freeman at Alden Global Capital - known for gutting media organizations - now has a 31 percent voting interest in the revamped company, according to Radio Ink. So I’m sure there’s enormous pressure to make the EBITDA look pretty.

When I arrived at Cumulus as executive editor, I handled the Four P’s - programming insights, platform relations, publishing best practices, and production support.

During my tenure from 2019 until 2024, I had lots of fun - like at Podcast Movement in Denver in the photo above.

I worked with Spotify on video podcasts, cultivated Apple channels for the network and radio stations, established a partnership with YouTube, helped the Brown Ambition podcast win several Webby Awards, and formally experimented with TikTok on podcast promotion. I also fine-tuned metadata and taught podcasting best practices.

Cumulus says it remains committed to podcasting, according to Podcast News Daily. I hope that’s true. But it will be hard to match the past.

We developed four robust content pillars to attract brand advertisers - News, Sports, Business Money Tech, and Life & Entertainment. We brought in top-notch talent, including Shawn Ryan, Rich Eisen, Lala Kent, BiggerPockets, Stacking Benjamins, and Afford Anything with Paula Pant. We even developed a trail-blazing partnership with Marketplace and American Public Media.

We had an excellent team led by Suzanne Grimes. Our all-star cast over the years included Robert Mathers, Kelli Hurley, Agnes Grzelak, Bryan Forbes, David Cohn, Lisa Waks, Megan Devine, Joey Salvia, Catrin Skaperdas, Erica Farmer, Lou Pellegrino, Cory Smith, Robert Barowski, Dennis Stemplinski, and Theresa Gage.

Of all those people, only the last three remain.

Gritty and determined, we sought to carve out our place in the Wild West of Podcasting. And we did.

We became a top ten channel on Apple Podcasts and a top ten network on various podcast rankers. And we had 50 shows charting on Apple, a first in the history of the company.

I will always fondly remember those days - rather than the brutal days of this week.

Now… it’s back to the beach.

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In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock runs his own consulting firm. He served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He currently works as a business reporter and multimedia journalist for WTOP in Washington, D.C.

Video this. Video that.

YouTube.

Netflix.

Spotify.

Apple.

Amazon Prime.

I’m pausing to inject humor into this conversation with this column. It is summer after all. So let’s have fun.

Whether you love video, hate video, fear video, dread video, or just don’t care, this song is for you.

Please enjoy Video Podcast Blues!

On a more serious note…

Video is greatly influencing the podcast space right now, as YouTube dominates Spotify and Apple in the most recent survey from Edison.

I’ve supported incorporating video into podcasting for five years now. You should have a video strategy - short-form, long-form, clips and special events. There are so many new avenues to explore for content, promotion, audience development, special events and monetization.

What’s your plan?

Feel free to contact me here if you want to talk.

In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock runs his own consulting firm. He served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He currently works as a business reporter and multimedia journalist for WTOP in Washington, D.C.

To its credit, Netflix offers a video version on its investor relations page.

I tuned in hoping for news on video podcasts.

What did I actually learn about video podcasts? Not much.

Netflix seems really stingy with audience information these days. In fact, the company announced it will release its viewership report only once a year, starting next year. So don’t hold your breath. Don’t expect information on views, average view durations or click-through rates any time soon. This ain’t YouTube.

This whole earnings call ran 36 minutes 47 seconds, hosted by co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Gary Peters and CFO Spencer Neumann.

The comments about video podcasts ran just over ninety seconds, according to my stopwatch and Sarandos did all the talking.

“With the podcasts, we're super encouraged with the viewing patterns that we're seeing,” said Sarandos. “They have convinced us that this viewing is definitely incremental for us. We're seeing that in daytime viewing. We're engaging our members outside of prime time, where we historically have done most of the engagement on Netflix.”

“Keeping in mind, since professional long-form content is a pretty small part of mobile, it's exciting to see that our video podcasts are out-indexing on mobile for us,” Sarandos said. “It's a really great progress on both fronts. It's really important for us to meet our members where they are with the kind of entertainment that they're trying to enjoy.”

As the lead cheerleader for video podcasts on Netflix, Sarandos did drop some names.

“We've been building out this great lineup of podcasters, include a mix of owned and licensed with creators like Martha Stewart on Netflix,” said Sarandos. “Our members are starting their day with "The Breakfast Club." They're loving the official Bridgerton podcast, Bill Simmons, Pete Davidson, Brian Williams, just to name a few. These are examples of us continuing to evolve and deliver members more entertainment value and in more ways to engage with stuff they love.”

In the end, though, this earnings call offered very little.

No viewership numbers.

No monthly data.

No bombshell announcements about new talent.

In other words, no real news.

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In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works as a business reporter and multimedia journalist for WTOP in Washington, D.C., and runs a podcast consulting firm. You can contact him here.

I’m constantly thinking about the future of podcasting - even when manning the grill.

Pass the mustard.

If Santa were delivering holiday packages in July, here are some things I would ask for:

Clarity on audience measurement - The download started to lose importance several years ago when YouTube burst onto the scene and upset the measurement landscape. We need to unify as an industry. Downloads are really a technical act; the physical delivery of a file to a device. Views aren’t much better because they say little about true audience engagement. We need a new baseline multimedia metric. Whether 30 seconds or 60 seconds, we need clarity and unity as an industry. Not until we have that will podcasting truly unlock bigger and better advertising revenue.

Podcast Movement - I’m looking forward to the new and improved conference in New York this September. The old version tried to be too many things to too many people, all at once. Who was the target audience? Beginners? Hobbyists? Veterans? Creators? Advertisers? I think Bryan Barletta and his team can inject some life and renewed purpose into the show, especially the creator days.

Video Overload - As a multimedia guy, I started working with the YouTube podcast team back in 2021. YouTube isn’t the enemy. It’s just a modern content delivery system that relies on visual engagement. Unfortunately, I fear video is now a runaway train. Recently, I started watching podcasts on Netflix. The sports podcasts are basically ESPN Lite and the show with Brian Williams could live on cable television. As I watch Netflix, I find myself asking, “Are these really podcasts?” I hope video doesn’t kill what makes podcasting special - the storytelling that activates the theater in your mind.

Vote for Our Panel at Podcast Movement

Attending Podcast Movement in New York City in September? Then please vote for our panel: What Now? What’s New with YouTube, Video, AI with Emma Sweet from YouTube, Neil Mody from Headliner, and Sharon Taylor from Triton Digital.

Cast Your Vote Here

Got a story idea for a future column? I’m all ears.

Drop a note here: John@JohnWordockMedia.com.

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In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works as a multimedia-minded business reporter for WTOP in Washington, D.C., and runs a podcast consulting firm. You can contact him here.

As the World Turns

Guiding Light

The Young & The Restless

Now, under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, CBS News has its own drama unfolding.

Let’s call it Dumpster Fire.

Weiss has fired some talented journalists and shaken up the Tiffany Network. The fabled show 60 Minutes has now lost correspondents Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi, not to mention executive producer Tanya Simon. If you listened to the podcast version of 60 Minutes, you will no longer hear those voices come this fall.

At least not at CBS.

If Netflix, NBC, PBS or ABC were smart, they would hire all that talent tomorrow and start a new show that airs Sunday night at 7 p.m. Of course, they should also create a companion podcast, establish a channel on YouTube, make TikTok videos, launch a newsletter, and publish video episodes on Apple Podcasts.

I look forward to seeing where all that talent lands, and who scoops them up.

Recommendation

I highly recommend listening to Pelley’s interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro from the New York Times. You don’t have to be a 60 Minutes fan like me to appreciate the drama happening now at CBS News under Weiss. And the interview takes you behind the scenes. It’s fast-moving and the interview ranks as the top episode on Apple Podcasts as I write this column.

Finally…

Thanks to Chris Hill from the Money Unplugged podcast. He had me on his show recently to talk about my earliest memories of money, growing up in Maine with my hard-working blue collar parents, and how I got into the spoken word industry and business journalism. We cover a lot of ground - from beef stew to graveyards to Mike Bloomberg. They all influenced my early days. You can grab the episode on Podlink right here.

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In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist, and he runs a podcast consulting firm. You can contact him here.

I got these statues via FedEx today.

I won two Communicator Awards: One for Series Column, the other for Series Blog.

A Hat Tip

I would like to thank you for reading this column. Your support, feedback and story suggestions were all part of the writing process for me.

I’d also like to thank those of you who financially supported this column over the last year. Your contributions gave me incentive to keep going.

And thanks to Sounds Profitable, Podnews and Podcast News Daily for linking to my stories over the last year. Truly appreciate the promotion.

Onward

I write this column because I care deeply about podcasting. And the future of digital media. And the First Amendment. And the future of the Fourth Estate.

The freedom of expression in America is flickering right now. So we need podcasting to keep that candle lit.

2026 marks my twentieth year in podcasting and I feel I have come full-circle.

I’ve gone from What’s a podcast? to What’s a podcast?

Hopefully, we will find the answer in the next twenty years.

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In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist. You can contact him here.

A sad time for journalism in America. But not a surprise.

Loud, brash and rude wins right now in America’s Creator Economy.

The demise of CBS News Radio has me thinking about Edward R. Murrow these days.

His reports from London for CBS Radio during World War Two were stuff of legend.

There is a small park dedicated to him in Washington, D.C. It’s located across from the World Bank on Pennsylvania Avenue. A marker (below) honors him.

In the summer, you can sit and relax under a leafy canopy of trees. I can easily see the ghost of Murrow smoking a cigarette there now.

The death of CBS News Radio would have Murrow smoking plenty of cigarettes these days. His metallic voice would ask: How could this happen? Why would CBS do this? And who the hell is Bari Weiss?

Murrow would also voice concerns about America’s polluted media stream right now.

Blowhards who know everything.

Loudmouths who wear tight tee-shirts and flash tattoos.

Loons who see Black Hawk helicopters on the horizon.

We now live in a society that values controversy on YouTube, Rumble and TikTok over well-written, well-sourced journalism like CBS News Radio.

Who needs quality journalism when you can watch a video of someone ranting about the end of the world?

A Familiar Story

Unfortunately, the death of CBS News Radio hits home for me. Back in 2014, I was asked to shutter the radio network for The Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch. We had 624 affiliates and more than 20 million listeners from New York to Los Angeles. We had podcasts and digital revenue. We won awards. And we were making money.

Still, that wasn’t good enough for Will Lewis, then CEO of Dow Jones & Company. Yes, this is the same Will Lewis who recently took a wrecking ball to the Washington Post.

Lewis told me he closed the radio network because he needed my headcount - 35 people - so he could hire engineers.

From that dark day came a new opportunity - WSJ Podcasts. I stayed at Dow Jones and built many of the podcasts you see today - from What’s News and WSJ Minute Briefing to Tech News Briefing and Potomac Watch. So out of that dark time came something positive for me - a career focused on podcasts. Hopefully the fine team at CBS can make a similar transition.

What Podcasters Can Learn from CBS News Radio

Your podcast may top the Apple charts today. But will it tomorrow? CBS News Radio dominated the radio world for decades and amassed more than 700 affiliates. So will your podcast survive and adapt? Will you survive the fast-moving changes hitting the media world today?

Consider these ideas:

Adapt to change. Podcasters today should learn to master audio, video, social media and AI. Take online courses. Learn new skills. Become a multi-tool player.

Market yourself daily. Become a notable name in your genre. Make sure people talk about you and your content. Don’t fade into irrelevance. Stay front and center.

Demonstrate value. Your overlords, bosses and sponsors should know what you’re worth. You and your content should attract dollar signs. You should represent revenue, not just overhead.

Monetize to the max. Find multiple ways to sell yourself and your content through social media, custom projects, special memberships, websites, newsletters, YouTube channels, and live events. Audio and video advertising revenue will not suffice in the Creator Economy in the years ahead. Patreon and Supporting Cast have become major players for a reason. So build a catalog of assets you can monetize, and don’t rely on ad dollars, CPMs and download figures.

Photo Flashback

This is me and Ed Murrow in early 2019 when I left WSJ Podcasts for Westwood One and what would become the Cumulus Podcast Network. Ed used to hang prominently in my office and look over my shoulder.

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In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist. You can contact him here.

Funny.

Inquisitive.

Knows how to give-and-take with famous guests.

So, on a recent train ride between New York and D.C., I had ample time to daydream about a Colbert podcast. How would I format it? Who are the first guests? What special segments would I create? I also thought about these potential names:

• Hello, My Name is Stephen

• Arching His Brow

• Later Than Late Show

• The Real Colbert Report

• Better Late Than Never

• Tales from the Tiffany

• Murders on Broadway: My Eleven Years at CBS

• Throwing Chairs with Dave

• See B.S.

And why would Colbert venture into podcasting? Because there are more than a dozen ways to make money. In a column I wrote last July called Stephen Colbert: Future Podcast Titan, I ran through potential paths to monetization. After doing more thinking, I updated my list:

• Podcast deal with a large minimum guarantee

• Premium host read ads

• Corporate sponsorship deals

• YouTube AdSense revenue

• Patreon or Supporting Cast

• Apple Podcasts subscription for bonus walled content

• YouTube channel membership

• Merchandise

• Paywalled website

• FAST channel (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television)

• Newsletter or Substack column

• Live events in New York and Washington

• Special comedy tours and tapings

• On-demand specials on Hulu or Netflix or Amazon Prime

Thanks for your years of service at the late night desk, Stephen.

Go break a leg in podcasting!

A Special Note: I received some great news the other day. This column has won two Communicator Awards; one for Blog writing, another for Column or Editorial Series writing. I sincerely appreciate your reading this column and would love financial support. So please throw a dollar in the tin cup if you can. Unlike Colbert, I don’t make $15 million a year.

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In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist. You can contact him here.

Invited to moderate a panel on video, podcasts and artificial intelligence, I headed to this year’s NAB Show in Las Vegas.

It was an honor, since the marquee conference for the National Association of Broadcasters usually draws more than 50,000 attendees.

I don’t drink too often. I don’t smoke. And I don’t gamble. But I still had a great time with three experts at the top of their game: Neha Taleja from YouTube team at Google, Andy Slater, head of partnerships for Amazon’s Art19, and Michael Biemolt, president of digital sales at Audacy.

Our hourlong conversation covered a lot of ground. The rise of Smart TVs. The new IAB revenue figures for digital video and podcasts. Crossover consumption between audio and video. The rise of AI. And the podcast industry’s future.

In the interest of brevity, here are five highlights:

Q: Why should radio or TV broadcasters do video podcasts?

Slater: “Well, you’re already creating video content, so that’s number one, if you’re able to repurpose the content. But I think the really big picture here is, is that in podcasting, with the growth, while we’re seeing this growth towards almost a $3 billion business, the video opportunity is more of a $78 billion business. So what happens is, I think video is an accelerant to your podcast growth.”

Q: Does the rise of Smart TVs help with selling video podcast advertising?

Biemolt: “Yes. I mean, it’s more distribution, but like the consumption that is occurring now, just you pick the device, whether it’s audio device, whether it’s video, it’s just a device, and for depending on whatever age group, young, middle, old, they have that ability to have it on Smart TV, see people in studio, that ability to see for us Boomer & Gio in New York, that absolutely is now a national brand, because it’s not just on WFAN in New York. They are truly for the partnership with CBS, but through our video podcasting, just like many of our talent, growing exponentially from capturing that video, whether it is high-end cameras or whether it is as simple as an iPhone, you literally can act upon this.”

Q: Is video the future of podcasting?

Taleja: “I think multimodal experiences is the future, right? Meaning users where they are and offering them different ways and modalities of consuming your content. So if you’re on your phone and you’re engaged with the screen, a video creates a stronger engagement environment, you’re more likely to engage the audience with creating subscription and fan bases, and there’s so much you can do that leads to revenue generation versus if you’re on a job and you want to listen to something, right? You do need strong audio support. So the future is content creators offering multimodal opportunities for their users. They can choose what works for them when not showing the video has an option like a lost opportunity, right? So you’re missing out on things that you could grow in your living room, audience and living room allows for shared experiences sitting with friends. And we see this a lot in general demographics as well. A lot of podcast consumption is happening in the living room and in that same environment, instead of mobile device being an individual, you’re seeing multiple friends just hanging out podcasts, running in the background and doing other things.”

Q: How true is it that podcasting cannibalizes radio?

Biemolt: “It’s not true at all. Your audience wants to spend time with the talent that you have. This allows them to go deeper. It allows the talent that you have that are time-restricted in the broadcast, to extend their show another hour and have it as an on demand feature, to go deeper, to talk about and connect with your audience.”

Q: What’s the role of AI in advertising?

Biemolt: “It is a truly game changing opportunity for when brands are discovering audio as you talked about, with production, and our investment in human capital. This allows not to replace humans, but to add to the meaning. We have clients today that are looking at Spanish language, and not every production facility we have across the country has Spanish language producers. So having that ability to have accents and dialects from Mexico to Spain Spanish, the ability today, I have brands that really want to localize domestic for national, multi market, tonality matters.”

Slater, Biemolt, Taleja and I could have talked for hours…

Maybe the NAB will have us back next year for the sequel…

Photo credits: Shermaze Ingram, Bradford Caldwell

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In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist. You can contact him here.

Yes, I watched.

No scratchy audio on this conference call with Netflix executives. Video all the way. And the earnings call appeared on YouTube. The Netflix Investor Relations team has its own channel there. How appropriate for the times.

And that got me thinking…

Will Netflix still have a commitment to podcasts in five years? Should YouTube, Spotify and Apple feel threatened? Or will Netflix become bored and move on to other projects - like developing a bigger relationship with the NFL?

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As previously noted by Ashley Carman in her Soundbite newsletter, podcasts on Netflix did attract some viewership during the first three months of the year - with 13 percent of Netflix U.S. households checking out a podcast for at least one minute.

To me, that feels like a curiosity click.

“Oh, honey, look. Podcasts are now on Netflix. Let’s see what’s there.”

Nonetheless, co-CEO Ted Sarandos did seem pleased with podcasts so far when asked on the company’s earnings call with Wall Street analysts late last week.

“We’ve been building out a great lineup of podcasts,” he said. “Both licensed and owned. Shows like The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Breakfast Club, Therapuss from Jake Shane, which I’ve been waiting to say all day. Pardon My Take. All these are doing great.”

Sarandos also noted that Netflix is seeing “incremental engagement” with his platform thanks to podcasts, and two items really jumped out of the data.

“One is the daytime viewing,” Sarandos said. “Podcast consumption indexes to daytime hours on Netflix, which allows us to capture a time where we historically have less engagement during the day. The other one is that it indexes much more mobile, podcasting being more mobile than professional TV, and professional TV and film historically makes up a pretty small percentage of mobile viewing.”

“It's great that we get to meet our members where they are, even when they're enjoying other forms of entertainment,” he said. “That's really a thrilling early sign.”

“We have our own podcasts as well,” said Sarandos. “Like The White House with Michael Irvin and The Pete Davidson Show. Our companion podcasts have been great for super fans like The Bridgerton Official Podcast and a few others.”

Netflix also announced it’s now working with longtime NBC newsman Brian Williams. “So the list keeps growing and it's very promising,” Sarandos said.

My Questions

As I watched the earnings call with Wall Street analysts, lots of questions came to mind. Here’s what I would have asked Sarandos and his team had I gotten the chance:

• What are your plans to boost podcast viewership? Only one in eight Netflix U.S. households viewing a podcast for at least a minute in Q1 seems modest. How will you increase the audience?

• Will you only sign podcasts that feature marquee stars and celebrities?

• Who do you consider to be your biggest competitor right now in podcasting? Is it YouTube? Spotify? Apple?

• What was your initial reaction when you heard Apple is ramping up video podcasts?

• To scale more quickly, would you consider buying an existing podcast player and folding it into Netflix? What do you think of Spotify?

• You are looking to build your relationship with the NFL. You have made that clear. Do video podcasts potentially fit into that plan?

• Will podcasting ever develop meaningful, move-the-needle revenue for you? If so, in how many years? One year? Two years? Five years?

With Netflix generating headlines about podcasting right now, I look forward to seeing where the streaming giant goes next.

In the meantime, pass the popcorn. I have lots of podcasts to watch.

Editor’s Note: Attending the NAB Show in Las Vegas this week? Stop by and take in my panel on Hot Digital Trends: What to Know About Video, Podcasts and AI. I have Andy Slater from Art 19/Amazon Ads, Neha Taleja from YouTube, and Michael Biemolt from Audacy joining me to share their insights.

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In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist. You can contact him here.

And video.

And my new job here in the nation’s capital.

As a multimedia journalist, I look forward to posting video on Apple via one of the inaugural four publishing partners in the months to come. But Apple embracing video podcasts feels long overdue.

Like several years overdue.

I remember sitting in the cozy lobby at the Hotel Figueroa in downtown Los Angeles during the Evolutions conference several years ago. I was there to meet with Jake Shapiro and Ted Hosmann from Apple. At the center of our conversation? Video. Yes, video.

At that time, Westwood One had some major video podcasts in its line-up, including Ben Shapiro and Dan Bongino. So the crew from Cupertino wanted to hear how things were going.

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Fast forward to today and Apple’s adoption of video feels like a Hail Mary pass; a last minute heave to win the game. I have iOS 26.4 on my phone and I get the public beta updates. I just got this message this weekend.

When it comes to app usage, Apple has been trailing YouTube and Spotify badly. In a just released report, Edison Research found Apple a distant third.

And Triton Digital revealed last month that Apple usage has steadily eroded over the last four years.

So will video help? Is video a game changer for Apple? Or a desperate play?

Too soon to say.

As a longtime Apple user, I look forward to seeing a robust rollout this Spring. If you want to read more, Apple has provided some useful information here.

Still, I have two nagging concerns.

Discoverability

How extensive is the editorial curation going to be? Will I find video podcasts easily? Will Apple create a special tier on the home page? Or a special tab? Will a podcast with video get flagged or promoted differently? Can I type in “video podcasts” and find a new show?

The Wealth Gap

I also worry Apple embracing video is going to widen the gap between the Have and Have Nots in podcasting. I know Apple says it is going to let creators keep “complete control” over their content and monetization. But publishing video is such a serious commitment. It requires lots of investment and significant resources to be done right. Most of my consulting work this past year focused on video and I saw too many podcasters - barely getting by revenue-wise - want to roll the dice on video. So I fear the rush to keep up will only push some podcasters into the poor house.

No hard evidence. Just a gut feeling.

Cumulus Chapter 11

Speaking of getting pushed into the poor house, my old employer has fallen into bankruptcy. I wish my old friends and colleagues at Cumulus Media the best of luck. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Westwood One. At one point, we had an amazing team under president Suzanne Grimes. We turned the podcast network into a major force.

Cumulus has already moved out of its beautiful office overlooking the Hudson River at 300 Vesey Street in New York City. I had a six-pack of Coke Zero in my office. I hope someone grabbed my soda before shutting off the lights.

This used to be the view from the corporate boardroom...

FOMO Part One

I missed Ashley Carmen’s Podcast Business Summit in Brooklyn last month. Amtrak canceled my trains to and from New York so I missed the summit for the first time in five years and missed seeing Cathy Csukas, Owen Grover and Steve Wilson. Damn blizzard.

FOMO Part Two

I also missed Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW. The war with Iran has been keeping me and the rest of the Fourth Estate busy these days. I heard only good things about the new format. I love Austin so I hope to get there next year.

Next Up - Vegas Baby!

Are you heading to the NAB Show in Las Vegas next month? Then come watch my panel presentation on Hot Digital Trends: What to Know About Video, Podcasts and AI. The NAB Show draws more than 50-thousand attendees from all over world so it’s an amazing opportunity to network and learn. Thank you Inside Radio and Radio Ink Magazine for mentioning my upcoming event.

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In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist. You can contact him here.

Washington, D.C. now stands for the District of Craziness.

Since starting my new job at a major news outlet here, I’ve covered the U.S. Supreme Court striking down President Trump’s tariffs, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunging more than 1,300 points in a matter of minutes, the price of oil racing toward $100 a barrel, and a shocking report that saw the U.S. economy lose 92,000 jobs.

Oh. And there’s the War with Iran.

How should podcasters handle the conflict? Should you mention it? Should you ignore it?

Naturally, if you have a podcast on knitting in the Leisure category, please ignore the war. No one looking for advice on the purl stitch wants to hear about the conflict.

Still, if you publish in the News, Society & Culture, Business, History or Government category, there’s definitely an opportunity to build a bond with your listeners and viewers.

You should consider which one of these Five E’s applies to your podcast:

Embrace - If you have a News or Government podcast, this is your time to shine. Acknowledge the military conflict. Cover the major players involved. Offer regular updates on key moments. Provide analysis of timely events. Become a destination for your listeners yearning for more information.

Educate - Book guests who will raise the IQ of your listeners and viewers. This is a golden opportunity for History or Society & Culture podcasts especially. Find that superstar author or clear-spoken professor who can provide perspective on America’s checkered relationship with Iran.

Enlighten - Offer your fans something different. Offer a sparkling nugget they cannot find elsewhere. Maybe develop a special segment. If you have a Business podcast, this is your chance to offer vital financial insights. Gas prices are starting to soar already as oil flirts with $100 a barrel. With modest economic growth and rising prices, America could enter a period of stagflation. What will happen to the U.S. economy? Will businesses stop hiring? How will this play out in your hometown?

Emote - If this war drags on, emotions will start to rise. More dead soldiers will come home. We will see stories about grieving families. And we will hear from pissed off protestors. Give your listeners and viewers a chance to sound off. Set up a special voicemail for your fans to call so they can vent. Ask them to submit short vertical videos. Let military families share their grief and concerns.

Escape - If you have a Sports or Comedy podcast, this is an opportunity to offer shelter from the storm, as Bob Dylan signs. How can you build a treehouse that rises above the chaotic news cycle? Give your listeners a safe place to go during these stressful times.

Editor’s Note: Are you heading to the NAB Show in Las Vegas next month? I’m moderating an all-star panel on Hot Digital Trends: Video, Podcasts and AI on Tuesday, April 21. So let’s find time to catch up. More information coming soon!

In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist. You can contact him here.

I journeyed to Atlantic City in New Jersey over the weekend to judge the National Headliner Awards.

The contest, around more than 90 years now, has honored many of my heroes over the decades, including Edward R. Murrow, Ernie Pyle, and David Brinkley. So it’s a thrill to serve as a judge.

Quality journalism isn’t dead, my friends. It’s just harder to find.

Blame the messy media universe, our tribal society, or all the mindless distractions on our phones.

It’s clear ESPN, ABC News, Bloomberg, and NBC News are committed to the podcast space. Despite losing the funding battle on Capitol Hill last year, NPR also continues to churn out important audio journalism.

Strong podcasts are also flourishing at local stations like WUNC, WWNO, WBEZ, WBUR and GBH in Boston.

Recipe for Success

Think your work has what it takes to stand out and win? Your presentation should ooze goodness like this slice of banana cream pie from the historic Knife & Fork Inn in Atlantic City.

Your podcast entry should have the following ingredients:

Top: Sweet and tempting start (a catchy letter and key content in the first minute)

Middle: Natural goodness and value in the middle (represented by real banana slices in this pie)

Bottom: Foundation of strong storytelling, real voices, and fact-based reporting

If you’re on a diet, and counting your calories, then follow these best practices when submitting for future contests:

• Make your presentation easy to follow

• Submit a well-polished letter for the judges

• Include relevant website stories and social media links

• Demonstrate a clear benefit to the public

• Illustrate why your work is unique and above all others

Finally… Why You Should Pursue Awards

At a time many media organizations are cutting back, you should seek recognition and prove your worth through award contests.

Are the bean counters eyeing you? Could your show face the budget axe? Need to prove your value to management? If so, then craft a podcast plan, define your mission, and create a show that will make a difference.

Need feedback on developing a podcast plan? I’m happy to listen.

In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024 and helped build Cumulus Podcast Network into a top ten network. He also served as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist.

Another chance to talk about Abraham Lincoln, my favorite president.

Honest Abe was a man ahead of the times. Did you know he was one of the first podcast consultants? Or so it seems.

He uttered some prophetic words that some in the podcast industry should keep in mind today as we endure changes brought on by video and artificial intelligence.

“The best part about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”

This quote is often attributed to Lincoln. Why is it still relevant today? Podcasters need to realize they cannot stop technological change, only adapt to it. If you’re currently thinking about including video, you need to ask yourself a ton of questions: Is YouTube worth it? Can you afford to pay for video services or a video editor? What is the end result you’re hoping to achieve? There are tons of questions you need to consider. I recently did a talk at Podfest called Building a YouTube Channel: No Hammer Required. So contact me if you want to talk more about all the questions.

As for artificial intelligence, several tools can speed your production including Riverside, Descript, OpusClip and Headliner. But you need to decide to what extent AI helps speed the plow. As a multimedia journalist, I prefer to make my own content and use AI to assist me. I’m in charge at the start of the process. I’m in charge at the end of the process. So you will have to determine your personal relationship with AI. What are you comfortable with?

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Lincoln uttered this quote in 1858 when he was running for the U.S. Senate in Illinois. America was teetering on civil war, torn over slavery and states’ rights. With so much friction in podcasting these days about the role of video, somedays I feel like I’m witnessing a civil war. Or a stare down in a high school cafeteria between two rival cliques.

Podcasting continues to suffer an identity crisis, now almost a year after Oxford Road’s Dan Granger flagged this dilemma at the Evolutions conference in Chicago. Is it audio? Is it video? Is it both? What is a podcast?

All these questions hover as deep-pocketed players like Netflix, Amazon and YouTube flex their corporate muscles and pull podcasting deeper into video.

If you know me, you know I’m a multimedia guy. I’m a longtime podcast and radio guy who used to be a television correspondent. I have talked about video podcasting for more than five years now. I started working with the YouTube team back in 2021 and I’ve done several talks on video podcasting in the last year. And I have another talk coming up at the NAB Show in Las Vegas in April.

Whether you are pro-video or pro-audio or somewhere in between, let’s respect the other side.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

Lincoln was also a noted optimist. Podcasting is large enough to accommodate everyone. So pursue your dreams. Whether you succeed will hinge largely on whether you build audience addiction. Your success starts with quality content. A show that’s well-conceived, wisely-crafted and smartly-promoted will attract audience and revenue. But you need to be at your very best.

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Editor’s Note: Are you going to Bloomberg’s Podcast Business Summit on Tuesday, February 24? Let’s catch up. Drop me a note. I’m parachuting into New York for the day for one of my favorite conferences. See you in Brooklyn!

In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock runs his own media consulting firm. He served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024 and helped build Cumulus Podcast Network into a top ten network. He also served as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist.

I was standing in my boss’s cubbyhole office at The Wall Street Journal in New York. Deputy managing editor Al Anspaugh was one of those cool editors. He was fine with impromptu meetings. He often had a baseball in his hand and would toss it in the air.

We would huddle and talk about how to make money from podcasts. Yes, podcasts.

Back in 2013.

Before Serial.

Before The Daily.

That day, however, our conversation turned to what Jeff Bezos buying the Post meant for media and journalism. It was such an important moment I kept the front page.

Our initial read? Bezos buying the Post was good news. A deep-pocketed owner was riding in to rescue a legendary paper. The newsroom that brought down President Richard Nixon during Watergate was getting a billionaire benefactor.

What could go wrong?

Fast forward to this week and we learned the answer. The Post has eliminated a third of its staff, including its sports department. For decades, that department was home to many all-stars like Feinstein, Jenkins, Wilbon, Kornheiser, and Povich.

The Bezos-owned news organization is also said to be cutting Post Reports, its daily flagship podcast.

According to Rephonic, the show had a monthly audience of three million listens. The Post Reports also attracted the kind of followers any podcast would long for:

• 40% of listeners between 18 and 34 years old

• Average household income $75,000 to $125,000

• Gender split 60% male 40% female

If the axe can fall at The Washington Post, what does this mean for media and podcasts elsewhere?

No one is safe any more.

Not even major league journalists working in one of America’s legendary newsrooms.

John Wordock runs his own media consulting firm. He served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024 and helped build Cumulus Podcast Network into a top ten network. He also served as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He started podcasting back in 2006. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C.

Members of The Podcast Academy have been voting for The Ambies. We had another batch of impressive entries this year.

The deadline to submit for The Webby Awards has been extended to February 6th.

And I’m judging the podcast entries for the National Headliner Awards this year, a contest that has honored outstanding journalism for more than 90 years.

Plan to submit for awards? Hope to stand out and get noticed by judges?

Think B-E-S-T.

BIG: Big moment. Big event. Big issue. What makes your content stick out? What makes it special and unique? Did you cover a major breaking news story? Did a major event happen in your city? Did you provide a unique, original or exclusive angle?

EXCELLENCE: Submit your most exemplary work. Period. Always lead with your strongest content. Make sure the storytelling hums. Make sure the edits are crisp and clean. Make sure your hard work rings out loud and clear. Is this something that would make your family proud?

SUPPORT: Always include a letter explaining why your work is important and needs utmost consideration. Guide the judges to the hot spots. Include time codes where key moments, interviews, or moments happen. When you apply for a job you submit a cover letter, right? So do the same here.

TOTAL: What was the total impact of your content? How did your work have influence? Did it make a difference? Did it move the needle in your town, state or industry? Did your local mayor go to jail as a result of your podcast?

All told, rock-solid content is what will distinguish you in every contest, and stellar packaging of your content will help you stand out.

Finally… A Personal Note

I feel blessed. I’ve been honored with some nice accolades over the years: The Webby Award, National Headliner Award, Excellence in Financial Journalism Award, SABEW’s Best In Business Award, and NAREE’s Best Broadcast Report.

Personally, what’s my favorite trophy?

My team at The Wall Street Journal gave me this statue when I left in 2019 after more than a decade of podcasting at Dow Jones & Company.

Sometimes, it’s just the recognition that matters most.

John Wordock runs his own media consulting firm. He served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024 and helped build Cumulus Podcast Network into a top ten network. He also served as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He started podcasting back in 2006. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C.