PodMov Daily: Tuesday, July 26

Episode 689: Testing, One Two-sday

“Shameless Acquisition Target” is a Truly New Podcast

A new show about podcast industry acquisitions is much more than a deal tracker. Laura Mayer, a former executive producer at Stitcher and co-founder of podcast studio Three Uncanny Four, has spent years watching friends (and some enemies, she says) “get rich, rich, rich selling their shows and companies.”

Alex Sujong Laughlin calls Shameless Acquisition Target “part performance art piece, part sincere business endeavor.” It’s a perfect description. Mayer will interview power players in the business about what’s valued in media. At the end, she’ll put it all up for sale – the show itself, derivative rights, IP, and RSS feed.

Mayer is transparent to a degree that feels new. In the first episode, she describes her early passion for radio, nightmarish exit from a high-profile podcasting job, and agonizing proximity to huge acquisitions. After all of this, she just wants to buy a house for her family, down the street from their rental apartment.

If we cover an individual podcast, it has to have changed the industry in some way. Shameless Acquisition Target taps into the anxiety of making money in this space (you know the feeling) while helping us understand the moving pieces. If you enjoy a little vulnerability with your capitalism, give it a try.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Full court: “Protecting your IP” from The Podcast Academy is tomorrow at 12:00 pm ET. Media lawyer Alexia Bedat will discuss what is (and isn’t) protectable, safe use of third-party material, and how to respond if your podcast work is appropriated without your consent. Free registration.

• Double scoop: Congratulations to the 2022 British Podcast Awards winners, including Dear Daughter (BBC World Service), named both Podcast of the Year and Best Family Podcast. Podnews has a full list of the results, including a video and photographs from the event in London’s Kennington Park.

• Legal theme: “A Primer on Podcast Legal Issues” from Radio Boot Camp is coming up on August 16. Media lawyer Jonathan Lyons will discuss and demystify key concepts for podcasters: copyright law, IP protection, contract negotiation, fair use, publicity rights, and more. $100 registration.

• News channel: Applications for the next PRX Journalism Podcast Accelerator will be open until August 12. Three free, regional programs will provide mentorship, support, and training to podcast production teams from news organizations. The Western cohort program starts in September.