This is\u00a0<\/em>Hot Pod,\u00a0<\/em>The Verge\u2019s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up\u00a0<\/em>here<\/em><\/a>\u00a0for more.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Hello! It\u2019s been a bit since we checked in on the news. Today, I\u2019ve got a look at the ongoing financial troubles at NPR member stations, the shutdown of Rooster Teeth, and the new season of Serial<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Two more public radio stations are discussing how they plan to get out of the red: Colorado Public Radio, which is adopting the \u201cbroadcast-to-podcast\u201d strategy, and WBUR in Boston, which is appealing to listeners for donations before taking any next steps.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Colorado Public Radio<\/a> laid off 15 members of its staff last week and closed its podcast-focused Audio Innovations Studio. Like at WNYC and NPR, CPR is focusing on news content that can easily adapt to broadcast and digital distribution.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Citing the same donor and sponsorship woes faced by the rest of the industry, CPR CEO Stewart Vanderwilt said that the cuts were necessary to put the station on better financial footing. In another move that sounds like WNYC deja vu, he said that what remains of the podcasting operation will focus on local news. Skye Pillsbury<\/a> also reports that two producers will come on to support the newsroom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe are shifting our focus to news-based podcast products \u2014 and I would say at the intersection of news and long-form storytelling,\u201d he said in an interview<\/a> with Colorado Matters<\/em> host Ryan Warner. \u201cThere\u2019s a couple of reasons for that. One, it\u2019s where we have a very specific strength. Two, we have a lot of the base material in original news that we\u2019ve produced, which can then be used in a podcast or on-demand type project.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n WBUR in Boston may be on a similar path, but not before CEO Margaret Low appealed to listeners to help the station avoid cuts. \u201cIn the last five years, our annual on-air sponsorship income (underwriting) has dropped by more than 40 percent,\u201d Low wrote in an open letter<\/a>. \u201cSponsorship dollars won\u2019t return to previous levels. These are not temporary ups and downs. They\u2019re long-term shifts.\u201d The next step, she said, could be pay freezes and layoffs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s a stark message that (hopefully) drums up some dollars from dedicated listeners. But such contributions won\u2019t address the main point she makes: the challenges faced by the audio industry are not all that distinct from what is happening to media on a broader scale. Instead of pointing to a skittish ad industry, she sees the problem as more systemic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe old economics of our business can no longer sustain us,\u201d she wrote. \u201cIn the digital age, almost all that money now goes to the big platforms \u2014 like Facebook, Google, Amazon and Spotify. This is bad news for the news business and has created big gaps that can\u2019t easily be filled.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For-profit media companies have struggled to adapt to the new landscape, and public outlets are even more limited in how they can make up that revenue. I don\u2019t have answers, but if you have thoughts on this, feel free to reach out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And, as ever, support your local public radio station! You could be as cool as me with my Brian Lehrer hat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s another digital media shutdown, this time at the hands of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. In addition to shelving movies to save on marketing costs, the company under his leadership has been selling off assets at a pace. Rooster Teeth is next on the list of properties to shut down, with the only component left standing (for now) being the podcast network.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Last week, Rooster Teeth general manager Jordan Levin emailed staff notifying them of the closure. \u201cIt\u2019s with a heavy heart I announce that Rooster Teeth is shutting down due to challenges facing digital media resulting from fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization across platforms, advertising, and patronage,\u201d he said, according to a memo obtained by Variety<\/em><\/a>. \u201cThe Roost Podcast Network will continue operating and fulfilling its obligations while WBD evaluates outside interest in acquiring this growing asset.\u201d About 150 employees were laid off.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Rooster Teeth first made a name for itself in the early aughts as a pre-YouTube hub for web series like Red vs. Blue<\/em>. But its podcasts, including H3 Podcast<\/em> and Rooster Teeth Podcast<\/em>, have proven to be a bigger draw in recent years. There is no news yet regarding a possible acquisition of the podcast network.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWoes mounting at NPR member stations: \u201cSponsorship dollars won\u2019t return to previous levels.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Rooster Teeth shuts down, podcast network up for sale<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
A new season of Serial<\/em> is coming this month<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n