Vox Media's Today, Explained Makes Public Radio Debut

Today, Explained, the flagship audio show from Vox Media, might be coming to a public radio station near you. First launched in 2018, the daily news podcast makes its debut today on 51 local stations across the country, including WHYY in Philadelphia and WRKF in Baton Rouge, La., as part of a multiyear partnership with WNYC Studios, the distribution arm of WNYC. Both parties declined to share financial specifics of the deal. Today, Explained will not initially air on WNYC itself, though the podcast has an ultimate goal of eventually airing on 200 stations, said Melissa LaCasse, director of distribution for WNYC Studios. For reference, RadioLab, one of the most popular public radio programs, airs on 562 stations. “It felt like a natural fit. We had the DNA, and we are doing something that's pretty fresh,” said Sean Rameswaram, cohost of the show alongside NPR veteran Noel King. “So we figured, why not put it on the radio and give listeners something that sounds kind of new? There are a ton of listeners on the radio, and we want to grow the show.” Pivot to Video—Vox Media Brings Its Podcast to Salesforce+ Shifting boundaries The boundaries between podcasting and terrestrial radio have grown porous in recent years, with talent, series and inspiration moving freely between the two camps. But Today, Explained will be only the second daily news podcast to be distributed on national public radio, following The New York Times' flagship audio product, The Daily, which made the leap in 2018. Vox Media declined to offer a precise figure for its podcast reach. Vox Media will still manage the ad sales for Today, Explained, but WNYC Studios will be responsible for the business development of its public radio counterpart. The distributor will then split the revenue it generates, whether by advertising or through carriage fees, with Vox Media, said Ray Chao, general manager of audio at the publisher. Although the partnership will generate a new source of largely passive revenue for Vox Media, much of its appeal lies in exposing the Vox Media brand to a nationwide audience, said Jeff Umbro, founder and chief executive of The Podglomerate, a podcast production firm. “This is a marketing move,” Umbro said. “Vox Media is getting access to new listeners, who will now be more familiar with the brand. Simultaneously, their existing listeners will tune into these public radio stations because their favorite show is on them.” Noel King, left, and Sean Rameswaram will cohost Today, Explained as it makes its national public radio rollout. Reaching new audiences Podcasts typically reach a younger, more diverse following than public radio, which tends to attract an older, whiter, wealthier listenership, according to data collected by audio research firm Market Enginuity. For example, the median household income of an NPR listener is $103,000, making the public radio audience a prime target for sponsors. And while the rules and regulations that govern public radio advertising, typically called underwriting or sponsorship, make it less engaging than the endorsements heard on podcasts, they are a close second, said Gretchen Smith, vp of media at audio and visual media agency Ad Results Media. Plus, for marketers that have hesitated to devote ad spend to podcasts, this hybrid offering could provide an appealing place to start. “These kinds of partnerships make podcasting a little more palatable to test into,” Smith said. “Brands big and small are advertising on podcasts, but for those lagging behind, this might be a nice way to dip their toe in the medium.” Fitting the public radio mold Today, Explained made the jump to radio because it combines the reporting sensibility of a public radio broadcast, but brings a nose for experimentation to the medium that expands what public radio can sound like, LaCasse said. The rapport of hosts and their backgrounds in public radio also bridged the gap between digital audio product and terrestrial radio. Both are familiar with the structural constraints of public radio, such as its prebaked segments and cross-promotions, but not married to its orthodoxy. “We’re excited about podcasting because there is a huge growth in listenership for digital audio,” Chao said. “If you look at listenership trends across audio more broadly, nothing else has that same pace of growth.” YouTube Tests a Dedicated Podcast Homepage

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Vox Media Podcast Today, Explained Debuts on Public Radio Stations Nationwide

The show will initially be available on 51 channels

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