PodMov Daily: Tuesday, January 14

Episode 120: Testing, One Two-sday

Australian Podcast Awards Announce Expanded 2020 Event Plans

The Australian Podcast Awards have announced their plans for 2020. The event will be larger this year and “will be moving from May to a date early in November, with the awards opening for entries at the end of July 2020.”

According to a press release and news post, an “expanded independent panel of judges” will assess the growing number of entries. Founder Dave Gertler commented that the changes reflect a desire to “be even more representative of Australia’s audio makers.”

In addition to judged categories, “the APAs will also be developing the Listeners’ Choice category, that will allow any Australian to easily vote for their own favourite podcast, for free.”

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DC Hotels' Hip, Pragmatic Return to Hosting Radio

Two hotels in Washington, DC have put a twist on tradition from the early days of radio broadcasting. Until the radio boom of the 1930s, hotels played a major role in the business by “providing shelter and credibility” to new stations, writes James Careless for Radio World.

Now, the LINE Hotel is home to a “lobby-based internet radio station,” Full Service Radio. It offers 34 weekly audio programs from local producers, live or on demand. The station uses a collaborative business model to provide a wide variety of content.

In early December the historic Willard InterContinental Hotel seriously stepped into audio with Big Whig Media, “a full-fledged multimedia production facility.” The studio is designed for podcasts, radio, and streams, plus TV editing and multi-camera video.

“Perhaps it’s too much to call any of this a rebirth of hotel-based radio or even a trend in hotel-based internet radio,” Careless says. “But the special nature of hotels seems to have enduring media appeal.”

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Victory Lap: A Talk With NPR's First-Ever Student Podcast Challenge Winners

To kick off NPR’s second annual Student Podcast Challenge, Cory Turner and Elissa Nadworny “checked back in with last year’s two grand-prize winners to see how the experience changed their learning, and their lives.”

Among nearly 6,000 entries, the chosen champions were Murderous Mary & The RISE Of Erwin, created by 11th-graders at Elizabethton High School in east Tennessee, and Sssh! Periods, created by 8th-grade girls at Bronx Prep Middle School in New York City. Notably, the victory of Sssh! Periods led to “direct changes in policy” at Bronx Prep that better support students’ health needs.

“The most amazing thing that came from the podcast experience of that class is how many of them found their passion through this project,” said Elizabethton teacher Alex Campbell, “and how this project helped them connect to people and learn how to tell someone else’s story.”

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Spext: Noise Reduction & One-Click Post-Production for Every Creator

Spext, the most intuitive web-based audio editor on the market, is more powerful than ever. Updated automatic noise reduction and post-production features now create an even better listening experience.

To cut audio, simply trim the auto-generated transcript and click Export. Spext automatically reduces noise, balances audio levels, and normalizes loudness to broadcast standards.

Working as a team is seamless with Spext. Collaborative functionality similar to Google Docs makes it easy to give feedback and make progress on your most important projects.

Busy audio industry professionals, from indie media creators to marketing teams, save time in editing and post-production with Spext.

Your audio files deserve the best. Ready to see what Spext can do for you?

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Here's what else is going on:

• Sweet clarity: University of Waterloo communication professor Robert Danisch, creator of the podcast Now We’re Talking, describes the origins of the show and how the medium allows academics “to reach new audiences and make our research matter.”

• Curtain call: UK theatre publication What’s On Stage offers podcast picks with “huge potential to enthuse younger audiences about theatre and drama,” including Honest Actors and the Royal Court Theatre’s Playwright’s Podcast.

• Rocky road: On the podcast The Ladies Guide to Dude Cinema, comedians Alex Jae and Bec Charlwood watch and review films “aggressively recommended” by men. Peter Wells of The Sydney Morning Herald details the show’s entertaining origins.

• Press pass: In March the first Publisher Podcast Awards ceremony will take place in London, “celebrating the best in podcasts from media and publishing organisations.” Categories to be judged include current affairs, technology, and B2B.