Helping listeners access a program when they want to hear it is the new venture for Westwood One creator Norm Pattiz and his Courtside Entertainment Group.
Thinking of radio as a building with a stick, with the programming consumed on a receiver over a certain frequency, is a recipe for disaster, he believes, noting that much of radio these days is consumed online.
That’s why he’s launching PodcastOne.com, a site that offers podcasts of shows from online broadcasters that can be downloaded. PodcastOne is part of Pattiz’s Launchpad Digital Media programming division.
Pattiz told the Los Angeles Times that the site gives him “the opportunity to put out content to a mass audience, without the constraints of having to convince a program director or a station group.”
Much of the podcast programming initially available comes from Launchpad programs. Pattiz indicated that PodcastOne is looking for outside programming.
He explains, “What nobody’s done is organize [podcasts] and give them the kind of attention they need to make them a real significant opportunity for advertisers.”
Pattiz notes that standard radio ads are sold based on an estimated number of listeners however with podcasts one can point directly to the number of downloads for very specific listener numbers.
PodcastOne partnered with Edison Research to gather data they can use to persuade companies to advertise on the site.
Some 85% of those who download listen to a show within 48 hours and 60% listen immediately, according to Pattiz. Edison found 29% of Americans 12+ had listened to an audio podcast in 2012, up from 23% in 2010. Half those listeners were ages 12 to 34, and 38% said they used an iPod, smartphone or other device to listen to digital audio in their cars at least once a week.
