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The Podcast Academy, the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced today that award-winning reporter, radio host and podcaster, Sam Sanders, will receive the Impact Award, which recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive effect on its listeners. Previous recipients of the Impact Award include Ira Madison III (2024) and Teenager Therapy (2020). The honor will be bestowed upon him at the Fifth Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies), which will be hosted by multi-hyphenate comedian Tig Notaro, on Monday, March 31, at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago. As previously announced, Ira Glass will receive this year’s Governors Award. The ceremony will be Live streamed by Amazon Music–Twitch from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cst.

The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling and expression. The ceremony will highlight...

The Podcast Academy, the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced today that Ira Glass, host and creator of the public radio program This American Life, will receive the esteemed Governors Award, which recognizes a podcast or individual for the compelling influence they’ve had on the industry. Glass joins the illustrious list of Governors Award recipients including Malcolm Gladwell (2024), Stuff You Should Know (2023), Serial (2022), and Wtf with Marc Maron (2021). The honor will be bestowed upon him at the Fifth Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies), which will be hosted by previously announced multi-hyphenate comedian Tig Notaro, on Monday, March 31, at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago. The ceremony will be Live streamed by Twitch from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cst.

The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling and expression. The...

After 13 months — and one barren autumn devoid of the new season listeners had come to crave — hit podcast Heavyweight is set to return with new episodes in 2025 as host Jonathan Goldstein and his team of producers join Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries.

Consistently cited as one of the best podcasts ever made, Heavyweight finds Goldstein masterfully balancing humor and empathy as he seeks to resolve people’s longest-standing regrets and unanswered questions. The show looks to create a space for the kinds of difficult conversations that most of us put off or avoid entirely — encouraging the idea that we have a right to push back in our relationships, that wrongs can be righted, and that it’s never too late to make amends or ask for answers.

“We’re so excited to be back," said Goldstein. "We have more beautiful stories to tell, and we’re looking forward to telling them in collaboration with Pushkin,...

Popular podcast Heavyweight is returning to the air waves.

The show, hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, is joining Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries after a 13-month hiatus. Heavyweight was formerly produced by Spotify’s Gimlet Media, but was canceled at the end of 2023.

The show, which has already run for eight seasons, sees Goldstein help people resolve long-standing regrets and unanswered questions. A new season is expected to start in the fall, with some new episodes coming as early as this spring.

“We’re so excited to be back,” Goldstein said. “We have more beautiful stories to tell, and we’re looking forward to telling them in collaboration with Pushkin, a place that understands what it takes to make ambitious narrative work and sets the bar high.”

The new episodes will be produced by Pushkin Industries and distributed by iHeartPodcasts, with episodes available everywhere podcasts are streamed.

Unlike other podcasting deals,...

Demi Moore’s SAG Awards win for outstanding performance by a leading female actor on Sunday may be another stepping stone on her path to Oscar semi-inevitability, but what stands out has been her transparency and owning of her narrative, as exhibited in acceptance speeches that connect the dots from “that little girl who didn’t believe in herself” to her current stature as an icon of longevity.

It’s understandable to still be in awe of her Golden Globes speech for The Substance. Looking radiant on the stage, the actress eschewed a list of thank-yous to eloquently address the movie’s message about female insecurities. Let’s read the words: “I had a woman say to me, ‘Just know, you will never be enough. But you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.'”

With much respect to this anonymous sage,...

As negotiations over their first union contract near the one-year mark, workers at Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast company are sending a clear message: We are ready to strike.

The bargaining unit at Pushkin Industries, which is unionized with the Writers Guild of America East, threaten a potential work stoppage in a letter delivered to management on Friday. The letter calls for raises for union members who “tightened their belts with the company during the lean years,” a “competitive” compensation package for workers and a “reasonable” policy on intellectual property. “We will not accept any Cba without these guarantees,” the letter states. “We are prepared to strike.”

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Pushkin Industries for comment.

Co-founded in 2018 by Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg, Pushkin Industries produces popular podcasts like The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos, Revisionist History and Against the Rules with Michael Lewis. The company has also...

During a lull in the second half of Netflix’s six-part political thriller Zero Day — and there are more lulls than there should be — I began to contemplate how much more efficiently the show’s central crisis could be resolved with the assistance of either Owen Hendricks, the protagonist of Netflix’s The Recruit, or Peter Sutherland, the protagonist of Netflix’s The Night Agent.

Netflix’s recent political thrillers have been rendered largely fungible by the streamer’s compact release schedule. The Diplomat is the best of this group, so I’m going to leave it out of the conversation. The Recruit is a goofy show, but it steers into its absurdities with reckless and fast-moving abandon that I appreciate. The Night Agent takes itself much more seriously, but creator Shawn Ryan has a tremendous internal editing mechanism that keeps the show lean and propulsive.

The sad truth is...

iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally and the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar (Gco) announced that iHeartPodcasts will be the official podcast partner for the 2025 Web Summit Qatar.

The second edition of Web Summit Qatar is set to gather more than 20,000 technology and business leaders, founders, world-leading investors, media and a record 1,250 startups at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (Decc) from February 23 - 26, 2025.

Top iHeartPodcasts talent, show producers and executives will be in attendance to participate in a range of events including educational sessions, live podcast recordings and Centre Stage content like fireside chats, panel discussions and Q&a sessions.

This year’s Centre Stage sessions will welcome Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group along with other leading iHeartPodcasts talent including Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author and co-founder of Pushkin Industries and host of “Revisionist History”; Jay Shetty, global best-selling author and award-winning host...

Exclusive: Selma filmmaker Ava DuVernay is hoping to make a television series about Los Angeles’ first Black mayor, Tom Bradley.

DuVernay would like to adapt an upcoming book by The Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell on the city’s longest serving mayor, who was in charge of the city between 1973 and 1993.

DuVernay revealed her desire on Gladwell’s new podcast, which he is launching with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris.

The duo are launching The Unusual Suspects with Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell tomorrow via Audible. The podcast interview series sees them speak to extraordinary individuals from entertainment, sports, business and politics about their distinct paths to success.

DuVernay, who is behind series such as Netflix’s When They See Us and OWN’s Queen Sugar, was a guest on the podcast.

“I’ve been working on this book about Tom Bradley,” said Gladwell.

“I know you have and I’ve been tracking that thing.

Bright Eyes founder Conor Oberst has revealed himself to be one of Creed’s earliest haters. During a recent appearance on Rick Rubin and Malcolm Gladwell’s Broken Record podcast, the singer recalled his attempt at talking his former label out of releasing the oft-maligned band’s early music.

While sitting down with host Justin Richmond, Oberst remembered his days in the emo band Commander Venus during the mid-1990s. For their second album, 1997’s The Uneventful Vacation, the group was signed to Wind-up Records. He built a close relationship with the “eccentric” owners Alan and Diana Meltzer, who played him Creed’s music before it was released.

Get Creed Tickets Here

“They were sweet, but I remember them showing me Creed before it even came out,” Oberst said (via Exclaim!). “And I was like, ‘You guys — it sounds like a really bad Pearl Jam.'”

Despite his protestations, the Meltzers believed in Creed.

They say this town is ruled by fear. They say it’s all gloom these days when not outright doom. They say Hollywood just isn’t what it used to be. Not warm, not wild, not fun.

They may be right. But they obviously aren’t spending time in proximity to Colleen Camp, the if-you-know-you-know fairy godmother of the film business. A veteran character actress turned social networker extraordinaire turned indie producer, she’s close friends with seemingly every bold-faced name in the industry — from Jerry Bruckheimer to Da’Vine Joy Randolph (who name-checked her in her Oscar acceptance speech this year) — and who has in recent years built a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most influential awards-season players. Camp’s intimate, no-press-allowed screenings, high-powered parties, star-studded dinners and assorted taste-making receptions have already altered the trajectories of scores of Oscar campaigns.

“I’m an empath and an enthusiast,...

On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, CBS Mornings welcomes rock band Weezer and journalist Malcolm Gladwell, who will discuss his latest book, Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering. The show, hosted by Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil, and Nate Burleson, continues its tradition of featuring a mix of entertainment and […]

CBS Mornings Tuesday October 1: Weezer and Malcolm Gladwell...

On Monday, September 30, 2024, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will feature actor Don Cheadle and author Malcolm Gladwell. Plus what’s happening the rest of this week on the show. The week continues on Tuesday, October 1, with political commentator Chris Hayes discussing current events, and a performance by Brittany Howard. On Wednesday, October […]

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Featuring Don Cheadle and Malcolm Gladwell (CBS Mon Sept. 30)...

Realm, an audio-first digital media company with a global podcast network featuring over 12M monthly downloads, today announced the addition of two key executives to its team. Carly Migliori joins as Production Partnerships Lead and Sarah Bentley steps into the role of Head of Network. These new additions join as Realm continues to expand its services across development, production, distribution, monetization, strategy, and marketing alongside the explosive growth of its podcast network and sales.

With over 15 years of media experience, Carly Migliori is an audio industry veteran who has worked across revenue maximization, production optimization, and award-winning branded content creation for almost a decade. During her time at Megaphone she launched the creative services studio and oversaw the production of audio ads across Megaphone’s T argeted Marketplace (now called Spotify Audience Network). Carly most recently served as VP , Partnerships at Pushkin Industries, where she was instrumental in growing the...

A slew of stars and influential figures, including former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, converged at the academy museum for A+E’s History Talks, drawing upon the past while offering inspiration for the future in a series of weighty conversations.

Kate Winslet, Kevin Costner, Kerry Washington, Nicole Avant, John Legend, Eva Longoria, Chuck Todd and a handful of historians and experts were among the other speakers during the A&e Networks event.

The Bush conversation was off-the-record. Meanwhile, Obama and Malcolm Gladwell spoke at length, touching upon a variety of topics including the importance of storytelling, the Reconstruction era and the Affordable Care Act. The pair stayed away from conversation about the current presidential race.

Obama told a story about his grandmother’s younger brother, just a teenager at the time, being part of an army unit that liberated a concentration camp during World War II. The...

It’s been almost four years since President Barack Obama’s memoir A Promised Land was published on Nov. 17, 2020 as Volume 1 of a planned two-volume series.

There has been little information since on when Volume 2 will be ready, with no release date set. During A+E Networks’ History Talks event Saturday, Obama indicated that the new tome is nearing completion.

“I’m writing, hopefully eventually this will be done next year, the second volume of my Presidential memoir,” he said during an interview with Malcolm Gladwell.

He teased Vol. 2 with an anecdote, which is included in the book, about him taking his young daughters to the MLK Jr. memorial ahead of its August 22, 2011 opening.

As they looked up, “it was this wonderful metaphor, because it’s this placid stone, marble figure, and he’s looking out the distance, and he’s holding something,” Obama said. “And you’re just thinking this,...

Two former U.S. presidents, one former first lady and noted historians, authors, academics and journalists gathered Saturday at the Academy Museum for a History Talks event that looked at moments of conflict in the nation’s past to bring perspective to the polarization of the present.

The 2010s were “a decade of indignation,” said David Brooks, New York Times political and cultural columnist. “That decade is now giving way – people want something more joyful.”

The event hosted by A+E Networks’ History Channel featured Q&As with President Barack Obama, who engaged playfully with Malcolm Gladwell, and President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush. That pair opened the half-day event with a wide-ranging conversation conducted by their daughter, “Today” co-host Jenna Bush Hager.

Other speakers at included Kevin Costner, Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington, Kate Winslet, Nicole Avant and John Legend. The event drew a large industry crowd,...

Leading premium podcast network Audacy Podcasts today announced a strategic partnership with acclaimed storytelling nonprofit The Moth to handle sales and distribution for the organization's award-winning podcast, including video, social and sponsorships for live events.

To date, The Moth's podcasts have been brought to listeners in partnership with Prx. Prx will continue to represent The Moth on public radio, which includes continued distribution of “The Moth Radio Hour” to more than 560 stations nationwide.

The Moth podcast feed will move to Audacy on January 1, 2025, and be accessible on the Audacy app and everywhere podcasts are available. The Moth will continue its release schedule with new and encore episodes of "The Moth Radio Hour" on Tuesdays and original episodes of "The Moth Podcast" on Fridays.

For over 27 years, The Moth has forged the modern storytelling movement, presenting over 60,000 true, personal stories to standing-room-only crowds at events and through storytelling workshops worldwide. Since...

Pave Publishing House, the independent print and audiobook publishing division of Pave Studios, today announced the hire of Kerri Kolen as Vice President, Pave Publishing House. Reporting directly to Max Cutler, Founder of Pave Studios, Kolen will oversee the development of compelling new titles, working with both emerging and established creators.

Kolen brings over 20 years of editorial experience, spanning print and digital media, to Pave Publishing House. Most recently, she served as Vice President and Head of Audiobooks at Pushkin Industries, following her tenure as Creative Executive at Audible, where she was instrumental in helping to shape Audible Originals.

"Kerri's deep expertise across both print and digital formats, combined with her deep understanding of the evolving media landscape, makes her the perfect fit for Pave Publishing House. Her proven track record of working with top-tier talent and her ability to adapt to the changing ways audiences consume content will...

The Hulu documentary Brats reunites the iconic Brat Pack stars to discuss their careers in the '80s and beyond. The Brat Pack, coined by David Blum, faced challenges and success as they transitioned to adult acting roles. Members like Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, and Demi Moore continue to impact pop culture today.

The 2024 Hulu documentary Brats brings the story of the iconic Brat Pack to a new generation, but who was the most successful Brat Pack member? The Brat Pack characterizes a group of young actors from the '80s who appeared in several coming-of-age teen movies throughout that decade. There are core members, including Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy, as well as others that many believe belong in the "club" as well.

David Blum coined the name in New York Magazine as a take on the Rat Pack.

Brats focuses on the impact of the "Brat Pack" nickname on young actors of the 1980s, honing in on three central films. McCarthy's documentary features conversations with former co-stars and social experts, exploring the collective experience of the actors. Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, and The Breakfast Club are highlighted in Brats for their significance in Brat Pack culture.

A new documentary on Hulu by director Andrew McCarthy called Brats explores the impact of the nickname the "Brat Pack" on a group of young actors whose careers took off in the 1980s McCarthy himself was a member, referencing several movies in the process. Other actors in the Brat Pack included Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, Alley Sheedy, Demi Moore, and Molly Ringwald. The actors would be grouped with the Brat Pack label for the rest of their careers. Rather than explore every film that members of the Brat Pack created,...

May 1985 was a good moment to be a hot, young actor. You had filmmakers like John Hughes presenting the teen experience in a way that resonated with teen audiences. You had studios who were suddenly happy to make films that catered to this lucrative, 14-to-24 demographic, so work was steady. You had ensemble films like The Breakfast Club, which had just come out the previous February, that provided the perfect showcases for this abundance of under-30 talent. It was not a coincidence that one of the most hotly anticipated movies of the season,...

Gladwell's commentary adds deeper insight into the impact of the Brat Pack phenomenon on Hollywood and young people in the 1980s. His ability to extrapolate larger patterns highlights the generational transition happening in Hollywood at that time. The Brat Pack label represents both a cultural positive impact and a personal negative one, as shown in the documentary Brats on Hulu.

In Hulu's new Brat Pack documentary, Brats, several pop culture and Hollywood experts are interviewed, but one curious inclusion stands out: Malcolm Gladwell. Brats, inspired by actor and former 1980s Brat Pack member Andrew McCarthy's memoir Brat: An '80s Story, sees McCarthy traveling to interview his fellow Brat Pack actors to discover how the label impacted them personally and professionally. Each had a different feeling about the infamous 1985 New York Magazine article in which the hated Brat Pack nickname was coined that changed their lives forever.

Along with the actual Brat Pack members,...

During a bit of small talk, an anonymous cashier mishears director Andrew McCarthy’s explanation of the project he’s working on: “The Rat Pack?” The Brat Pack, McCarthy corrects. “That sounds familiar,” replies the younger man in the polite tone of someone who has no idea what you’re talking about.

It’s a throwaway moment in the film, but one that gets at the good-natured humility that makes the whole thing tick. The marketable hook of Brats is that it’s a documentary about the (in)famous 1980s young Hollywood cohort, helmed by one of its own. What makes it truly compelling, however, is its willingness to step outside that perspective and reconsider the phenomenon from a broader context with the wisdom of age.

At first, Brats feels like watching a man poke at his own bruises. “I’d lost control of the narrative of my career,” McCarthy...

What are we to make of the fact that Andrew McCarthy’s first effort as a documentary filmmaker is a bitter excoriation of the Brat Pack tag that defined him — and is also ostentatiously named after it?

It would be just ducky to be able to report that “Brats” is the inside deep-dive we might wish it to be. But really, it’s a lightly-indulgent passion project that leaves us wanting so much more.

McCarthy begins by noting frankly that “we were who you wanted to hang with, who you envied, who you wanted to party with.” The “we,” of course, also refers to Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, as well as Pack-adjacent stars like James Spader, Lea Thompson and Jon Cryer. The cool kids of ’80s movies like “The Breakfast Club,” “Pretty in Pink” and “St. Elmo’s Fire,” they were...

The 2024 Pen America Literary Gala welcomed hundreds of guests inside Manhattan’s Museum of Natural History on Thursday, including several prominent figures from the entertainment industry. Seth Meyers served as emcee for the annual black-tie fundraiser, which recognizes individuals who “celebrate, champion and defend freedom of expression.”

The gala took place following the recent cancellation of the annual Pen America Literary Awards and World Voices Festival. Several Pen-affiliated writers, including nine of those who received nods for the Pen/Jean Stein award for best book, chose to boycott these events in light of the organization’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. Pen America has been under scrutiny as several Pen-affiliated authors have alleged that the free speech and literary organization has favored Israel amidst the war and not properly acknowledged the violence afflicted upon Palestinian writers and journalists.

While the fundraiser took place as planned, the evening was not without...

Exclusive: Nate Silver, the founder of FiveThirtyEight, and Maria Konnikova, the author of The Biggest Bluff, are launching a new weekly podcast about making good decisions — in poker, in politics, and in everyday life.

The pair, who are both journalists who moonlight as high-stakes poker players, are launching Risky Business.

The series, which launches on May 16, comes from Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries and iHeartPodcasts.

It comes a year after Silver departed ABC News.

Silver is the founder and former editor-in-chief of political and statistical analysis site FiveThirtyEight, and one of the country’s leading election forecasters. He has over $800,000 in lifetime poker tournament winnings and his forthcoming book, On the Edge, is about gambling and risk.

Konnikova, who has a doctorate in psychology, inadvertently became a professional poker player with over $500,000 in tournament winnings, while researching The Biggest Bluff.

The pair will both be competing at the World Series of Poker this year.

Mortal Media, the film and TV production company co-founded by Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil, has signed with WME for representation, Variety has learned exclusively.

WME will rep Mortal Media’s scripted and unscripted slate, while also helping the company expand into brand partnerships and creative marketing services. In addition, Griffin has signed with WME for theatrical representation.

Mortal Media currently has projects in development across a wide range of platforms, including Netflix, Paramount, 20th Century Studios, FX, and Disney. Their recent credits include the “White Men Can’t Jump” remake at Hulu and the sci-fi dramedy series “Hello Tomorrow!” at Apple TV+. On the horizon, Mortal Media is behind “The Rocketeer” sequel at Disney, the single-cam comedy “Get Buckets” in development at Fox, and a feature action comedy with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat for Netflix. Mortal Media is also a lead investor in Swaybox Studios, an innovative, New Orleans-based animation studio.

“You all look so gorgeous which is why you excel in a medium where no one can see you,” Trixie Mattel quipped at the start of Tuesday night’s Ambie Awards inside of the Jw Marriott LA Live in Los Angeles. The winner of season three of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars served as the host of The Podcast Academy’s fourth annual Awards for Excellence in Audio sponsored by Wondery, The Hollywood Reporter, Audible, Dolby, Campside Media,The Podcast Show, Tenderfoot TV, Outfront, Castbox, Raedio, Gumball, Headgum, Good Tape, and IMDb.

The top honor of the evening went to Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas, which was awarded Podcast of the Year. The show, now in its eighth season, is hosted by Slate staff writer Joel Anderson and tells the story of Clarence Thomas’s rise to power.

Weight For It, hosted by Ronald Young Jr., was the most...

Tonight, The Podcast Academy (Tpa), the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced winners at its fourth annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies®) from the Jw Marriott LA Live Los Angeles hosted by season 3 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” Trixie Mattel. Additionally, Malcolm Gladwell was honored with the esteemed Governors Award, which recognizes a podcast or individual for the compelling influence they’ve had on the industry; and pop-culture podcaster Ira Madison III received the Impact Award, which recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive effect on its listeners.

The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling and expression. The ceremony highlighted 192 nominees across 27 categories with winners selected by every voting member of The Podcast Academy (Tpa).

Fourth Annual Awards For Excellence In Audio Winners: Podcasts Detail Podcast of...

“Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas” took the honor for Podcast of the Year on Tuesday night at the fourth annual The Ambies awards recognizing excellence in audio.

The awards were handed out in 27 categories at a ceremony held Tuesday night at downtown Los Angeles’ J.W. Marriott LA Live Los Angeles and live streamed on The Podcast Academy’s YouTube channel. The ceremony was hosted by Trixie Mattel, Season 3 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” Trixie Mattel.

“This is amazing,” said Joel Anderson, host of Slate’s most recent season of its “Slow Burn” podcast. “Becoming Clarence Thomas” follows the Supreme Court justice’s life story and his journey from youthful radical to conservative icon.

“Weight For It,” hosted by Ronald Young Jr., earned the most wins, with three Ambies including Best Indie Podcast, Best Indie Podcast Host/Hosts and Best Society and Culture Podcast.

“I can’t even lie — this feels good,...

Tom Hanks will host and narrate a 20-part documentary series about World War II on the History Channel.

The project from Nutopia is one of several unveiled Wednesday by A+E Networks as it convened its virtual upfront presentation to advertisers.

Along with the Hanks series, History is also teaming with Barack and Michelle Obama on a podcast exploring America’s Reconstruction Era. It is getting into business with former New York Yankees great Derek Jeter for two series, one about great warriors and the other about entertainers. And Danny Trejo will also host and narrate a new History series exploring “some of the greatest underground mysteries and the fascinating stories surrounding buried artifacts and lost civilizations,” as a press release put it.

As yet untitled, the Hanks-hosted docuseries “offers a comprehensive view of World War II,” History says, “thanks to new scholarship and rarely seen archive, that illuminates both the...

The Podcast Academy, the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced today that season 3 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” Trixie Mattel will host its fourth annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies) on March 26 at the Jw Marriott LA Live Los Angeles. Tpa also unveiled that it will bestow upon Malcolm Gladwell the esteemed Governors Award, which recognizes a podcast or individual for the compelling influence they’ve had on the industry. Additionally, Tpa will honor pop-culture podcaster, Ira Madison III with the Impact Award, which recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive effect on its listeners.

The show will be live-streamed on The Podcast Academy's YouTube channel - watch here from 6.00pm Pt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBGu0bbnrAU

The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling and expression.

Heath Ledger's tragic death while working on a film project left a lasting impact on those involved in the industry. Stephen Gaghan opened up about the emotional experience of Ledger's passing and his hopes of working on more movies together. Ledger was found with a copy of the book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking on his nightstand, as well as a draft of Gaghan’s screenplay.

Even 16 years later, the tragic death of The Dark Knight star Heath Ledger continues to weigh heavily on Hollywood. Now, Academy Award winning filmmaker Stephen Gaghanhas discussed the details of Ledger’s passing and the impact it had during an appearance on Malcolm Gladwell‘s Revisionist History podcast. Ledger, who passed away in 2008 after an accidental overdose of prescription medication, was found with a copy of Gladwell’s book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking on his nightstand, as well...

Heath Ledger remains an unforgettable star in the hearts of fans. Initially known for teen heartthrob roles, he transitioned to diverse and challenging characters across genres. While his career featured many great performances, his iconic portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight stands out prominently.

Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight

It is unfortunate that Heath Ledger wasn’t with us to witness the acclaim he received for his role as The Joker, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award. The Australian actor passed away at the age of 28, leaving his promising career unfinished. In fact, Ledger was actively working on a movie at the time of his death, and the director of that film recently shared memories of his time with Ledger.

Suggested“That’s the moment that changed my career”: Dune 2 Star Austin Butler Had to Work in 1 TV Show Almost Immediately After...

Heath Ledger is a star who fans can not forget at any cost. Starting with teen heartthrob roles, he quickly shed that image to tackle challenging characters across genres. He had done many great roles but none come close to his iconic portrayal of The Joker in “The Dark Knight”.

A still from Dark Knight

It is, however, very unfortunate that Ledger wasn’t between us to see all the praise he got for his role, which resulted in a posthumous Academy Award. The Australian actor was just 28 at the time of his death and had his whole career ahead of him. He was already working on a movie at the time, and the director of that movie recently recalled his moments with Ledger.

Suggested“They were hooking up”: Heath Ledger Took a Secret to the Grave – He Was Dating Avengers Star’s Sister

Heath Ledger Passed Away With...

Filmmaker Stephen Gaghan has opened up about the film he almost made with late Hollywood star Heath Ledger and recalled the horrible moment he learned about the actor’s death.

Stephen spoke about Ledger, who gained universal acclaim and global spotlight with his performance as the chaotic character of Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’, during his appearance on Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast miniseries ‘Development Hell’.

The director and actor back then wanted to adapt Gladwell’s book, ‘Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking’, which talks about the kind of thinking that happens in a blink of an eye.

Stephen received a phone call from Ledger’s father and his close friend. Ledger had been found dead in his Manhattan apartment at the age of 28 in January, 2008, due to accidental overdose of medications.

“They were there with the body, and our script was in bed with him, and your book was on the bedside table,...

During his recent appearance on Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast miniseries, Development Hell, director Stephen Gaghan talked about the film he almost made with Heath Ledger. And the phone call that ended that dream.

Gaghan and Ledger wanted to adapt Gladwell’s book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, which explores the kind of thinking that happens in a blink of an eye.

Then he received a phone call from Ledger’s father and his close friend. Ledger had been found dead in his Manhattan apartment at the age of 28 on Jan. 22, 2008.

“They were there with the body, and our script was in bed with him, and your book was on the bedside table,” Gaghan told Gladwell. “I think my number was on the script — like written. These guys are in, as you can imagine, they are in shock. And they dialed that number, and I don’t know why.

While 2000’s “The Tipping Point” was writer Malcolm Gladwell‘s first book, it was 2005’s “Blink” that put him on the map. And the bestseller, all about the adaptive unconscious, captured the public’s imagination so much that Gladwell and screenwriter Stephen Gaghan had plans to make the book into a feature film. But tragedy derailed those plans, and THR reports that the pair talked about the unproduced screenplay for “Blink” on a new limited series for Gladwell’s podcast “Revisionist History.”

Read More: The Most Anticipated Films Of 2024

The premiere episode of “Development Hell,” all about Hollywood projects that never managed to get greenlit, hits close to home for Gladwell and Gaghan.

Continue reading Stephen Gaghan Reveals ‘Blink’ Project Was Originally Set To Star Leonardo DiCaprio, Heath Ledger at The Playlist.

The hype leading up to The Dark Knight in 2008 was the closest we’ve come to reliving Bat-Mania that took over pop culture in 1989 leading up to the first Batman. Much of the hype came from the revelation of Heath Ledger’s take on the Joker. Christopher Nolan’s star was on the rise as people resonated with his 2005 reboot Batman Begins, and his interpretation of the clown prince of crime was a fresh burst of energy. A number of photos and a teaser from the film was released when the world was dealt the devastating news about the passing of Heath Ledger. Ledger’s career had gained immense steam after performances in Monster’s Ball and Brokeback Mountain.

A new detail was revealed about the day Heath Ledger was found unresponsive as Stephen Gaghan, the Oscar-winning writer of Traffic, appeared on a new limited series podcast called Development Hell. According to The Hollywood Reporter,...

Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast launched a new limited series today titled Development Hell that offers deep dives into Hollywood projects that never made it on screens big or small. The New York Times best-selling author — who serves as co-founder of audio content company Pushkin Industries, home to his podcast — kicked off the series by investigating one of his own, an adaptation of his second book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, with Oscar winner Stephen Gaghan.

The longer than 40-minute conversation offers new details about their partnership and strategy in adapting the 2005 book about instincts, snap judgments and first impressions. But the chat took a devastating turn when Gaghan revealed why, after years of development and a package that once included A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio, he let go of it for good following the tragic death of Heath Ledger.

Ledger was found dead inside a Manhattan apartment on Jan.

Scripted podcast “The Very Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen,” unscripted series “Dear Alana,” and retrospective looks at the origins of hip hop lead the list of nominees for the fourth annual Ambies podcast kudos administered by The Podcast Academy.

“Very Worst Thing,” a psychological and supernatural drama produced by Wolf at the Door creative studio, earned the most bids of any program with five. Tenderfoot TV’s “Dear Alana,” a searing eight-episode series exploring the journals of a young woman who killed herself after undergoing cruel conversion therapy, was second with four.

Six different titles amassed three nominations, including “Can You Dig It?: A Hip-Hop Origin Story with Chuck D” and true crime entry “Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University.” Another 16 titles grabbed two nominations, ranging from “Who Killed JFK?” and “Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas” to “50 Years of Hip Hop” and “The Cat in the Hat Cast.”

The...

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If you’ve found some spare time in your day that you’d like to use more productively, you should consider taking an online course from platforms, like MasterClass, Udemy, Coursera, and others. The rise of online courses have seen people appreciating the convenience and variety the best learning sites online have to offer.

Several online learning sites allow you to take classes on topics you’re actually...

Going into 2024, podcasting executives remain incredibly bullish on growth in the sector, with an eye to creating multiple revenue streams for creators and using artificial intelligence and video to expand the audience.

While the podcast sector faced some pullback in the past year, notably with layoffs and programming cuts at Spotify, Wondery CEO Jen Sargent and Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group, say they believe there’s still room for the medium to expand, particularly on a global level. And while the overall advertising market took a hit last year, both also see podcasting advertising growing into the next year, fueled by increasing demand.

In an effort to further globalize the medium, Byrne said he expects artificial intelligence to play a big role in the translation of podcasts into other languages. With the approval of the podcast creator, Byrne said iHeartMedia is looking to use AI to translate,...

Gary DeVore, the screenwriter of movies including Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Raw Deal and Back Roads, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field, went missing in June 1997, sparking a major manhunt.

DeVore’s mysterious disappearance has never been truly solved and there have been a number of conspiracy theories surrounding the subject including one that the CIA may have played a role in whatever happened to him.

This story is the subject of Witnessed: Fade to Black, an eight-part podcast from Campside Media and Sony Music Entertainment, in association with Stowaway Entertainment, which premieres its season finale next week. There’s also been an interesting revelation since the show debuted; Gary’s wife Wendy DeVore recently discovered over 50 scripts and treatments, written by DeVore, and Wendy and Stowaway’s Jeff Singer are now working to see if there’s a second life for these scripts.

Titles include Hurricane Chaser, Deadlocked and Hard Rock,...

Workers at the powerhouse audio production company behind podcasts The Happiness Lab and The Dream, Pushkin Industries, have unionized after management voluntarily recognized their bargaining unit.

A group of producers, editors and engineers are joining the Writers Guild of America East after a card check conducted by a third party found that the majority of the group was supportive of unionizing. Co-founded by star author Malcolm Gladwell and former Slate Group CEO Jacob Weisberg, Pushkin Industries has also produced the podcasts Revisionist History, Against the Rules with Michael Lewis, Broken Record, Getting Even with Anita Hill and Well-Read Black Girl.

“We are thrilled that Pushkin Management has decided to voluntarily recognize our union, and eager to include our voices in company decision making,” the company’s organizing committee said in a statement. “This year, our small but mighty unit has been impacted by three rounds of layoffs, and we believe...

Global, the UK’s largest radio and outdoor media company, has signed an exclusive platform distribution and ad sales deal with iHeartMedia, the No. 1 audio company in the United States.

Under the exclusive deal, Global and iHeartMedia will license, distribute and represent each other’s chart-topping podcast portfolios.

In the UK iHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, will be available on Global Player and via Dax, Global’s market leading digital advertising exchange. iHeartPodcasts adds millions of downloads to Global Player and the Dax network.

iHeartPodcasts publishes more than 800 podcasts across a wide variety of genres, that span every category from business, sports, spirituality and technology to entertainment, family, comedy and true crime – and everything in between including ‘On Purpose with Jay Shetty,’ the hit health and wellness podcast from the British former-monk-turned-author and motivational speaker, which explores topics related to mindfulness and mental health with high-profile guests including Drew Barrymore,...

iHeartMedia, the No. 1 audio company in the United States which reaches nine out of 10 Americans every month, and author and podcaster Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries, today released the results of a major study conducted by Morning Consult and Advertiser Perceptions, that explores the growing disparity between consumer values and behaviors and marketing priorities in the U.S. The report underscores the increasing urgency for marketers to reset and realign their marketing and media plans with American consumers to ensure the success of campaigns in an increasingly polarized post-covid economy.

This research is a reminder of how different we marketers are from today’s consumers, especially post-pandemic. Based on these results, we need to challenge ourselves as we build marketing and media plans to be sure we use real consumer data and not just trust our instincts and personal experiences. These personal biases are too detached from the consumers most marketers are trying to engage,...

While Madison Avenue seems focused on shiny new technologies, iHeartMedia is encouraging advertisers to get back to basics.

Research conducted by Morning Consult and Advertiser Perceptions on behalf of the audio-media giant and podcaster Pushkin Media found a growing disparity between what marketers think top consumer priorities are and the things to which consumers are actually gravitating. While Madison Avenue seems to think consumers aspire to nosh on charcuterie and watch “Succession,” consumers seem more interested in U.S. travel and going to barbecues. The disparity suggests advertisers are chasing after a niche interested in luxury and wealth, but ignoring the desires of a larger part of their overall potential customer base.

“We are seeing a lot of human bias creeping into marketing decisions,” says Gayle Troberman, chief marketing officer of iHeartMedia, in an interview. The recent surveys, she adds, reveal a big difference “between what American consumers post-Covid feel,...

Tobias Menzies has always relished a challenge, whether it’s playing Prince Philip, or a New York therapist – or just keeping up with Brad Pitt

As a child, the British actor Tobias Menzies was a talented junior tennis player. At the beginning of the Covid pandemic, he decided to see if he could get his game back. He joined his local club in north London and started hitting, mostly on his own with a machine firing balls at him, at least a couple of times a week: for the first six months, he only struck forehands; then he did a similar stint on his backhand. Two years on, Menzies has finally felt ready to contest matches, mainly against the club pro.

“When I started playing again, I thought, ‘Ok, I’m going to do my 10,000 hours, I’m going to start again,’” says the 49-year-old Menzies, referring to the principle,...