Podcast Network Insights: Understanding the Business of Podcast "Networks" | Podcast on RSS.com

Podcast Network Insights: Understanding the Business of Podcast "Networks"

Podcast Network Insights: Understanding the Business of Podcast "Networks"

by Greg Wasserman, Podcast Leader & Relationship Generator

Entrepreneurship Marketing

Building a Podcast Network Around Creators, Not Just Content

What does it really look like to build a podcast network where creators are central, not just featured? This episode explores how a creator-first philosophy shapes everything from formats to hiring—and why betting on people instead of just shows might be the overlooked lever for genuine audience connection. Joining are Andrew Kenward (president and COO, formerly an agent at WME) and Paige Hymson (EVP of Podcasts, with a background in traditional audio journalism), each bringing perspectives from both legacy media and new digital models. Andrew draws on his agency experience and perspective as a founder, while Paige offers hands-on insights from years in newsroom-style podcasting. Together, they’re building a network with eight long-form audio/video series across sports and comedy, developed around a tightly defined audience and a collaborative, cross-platform approach. Listen for: 07:40 Origin of Almost Friday Media 14:16 Importance of Visual Elements 21:03 Collaborating with talent and creators 22:30 Organizing YouTube content like TV studios 28:20 Talent investment versus network deals 38:33 Strategic planning for live events 42:55 Value of host read ads in video 53:13 Reviewing audience engagement regularly 01:01:33 Innovative media strategy and format GUESTS: ANDREW KENWARD, PRESIDENT | COO Website | LinkedIn PAIGE HYMSON, EVP TALK CONTENT (SPORTS AND PODCASTS) LinkedIn Andrew’s Podcast rec: Prof G Markets | Book Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson Paige’s Podcast rec: Wisecrack | Book Captain Cook: Exploring the Wide, Wide Sea CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman Systems, Sponsors, and Partners: Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Growing a Podcast Network in Hyper-Specialized Markets

What happens when a podcast network is built with a laser-focused niche rather than sheer volume—and most of its shows are produced or hosted by the same person? In fields as specialized as legal compliance or rural West Texas storytelling, the logic behind network-building flips conventional wisdom. This conversation explores how specificity, not broad appeal, reshapes what a podcast network can do. Tom Fox began his career as a lawyer and consultant before pioneering a compliance-focused podcast network in 2017. He now operates two networks—one with about 60 compliance shows (most hosted by himself), and another dedicated to local stories in Texas Hill Country. His approach is rooted in long experience creating, distributing, and monetizing highly specialized podcasts. Listen for: 6:34 Starting a podcast 7:38 Podcasting motivations and process 10:24 Turning recordings into a podcast 19:54 Promoting shows through social media 22:52 Targeting niche compliance audiences 25:10 Advertising to small town businesses 28:33 Creating autobiography and podcast series 31:40 AI-generated content quality 34:56 Starting a local podcast network 40:28 Running a business without a website 48:10 Reflecting on meaningful conversations CONNECT WITH GUEST: TOM FOX, VOICE OF COMPLIANCE, COMPLIANCE PODCAST NETWORK Website | LinkedIn Podcast rec: The Rest is History | Compliance Tip of the Day Book rec: Deluge Before Dawn: Heartbreak, Survival and Resilience After the Guadalupe River Raged CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn Book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman Systems, Sponsors, and Partners: Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Why Podcast Networks Should Lead Your B2B Marketing Strategy

How can building a podcast network act as the backbone of business development, instead of simply a content play or an ad-driven venture? This episode takes an inside look at designing a podcast network that functions as a strategic connector, breaking down organizational barriers and fueling collaboration. Guest Todd Eury shares how this approach can reshape both network operations and industry relationships. Todd Eury spent years in telecom before moving into pharmacy tech and, in 2008, starting what would become a 40+-show network now at the center of pharmacy industry communications, the Pharmacy Podcast Network. Drawing on nearly two decades of operating a highly specialized network, Todd Eury brings a grounded, inside view you won’t hear from “big media” podcast network executives. Listen for: 6:49 Podcast collaboration challenges 12:12 The rise of podcast accessibility 20:50 Podcasting should not stand alone 29:25 Leveraging pharmacy expertise and trends 35:00 Choosing the Right Podcast Network 42:37 Building a Podcast Network 52:40 Podcast Network platform 01:03:24 The network effect in podcasting CONNECT WITH GUEST: TODD EURY, RXPODFATHER, PHARMACY PODCAST NETWORK Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Podcast rec: The Curbsiders Book rec: Healing the Sick Care System: Why People Matter CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman Systems, Sponsors, and Partners: Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow

How Early Network Branding Fuels Long-Term Growth

What does it mean to brand yourself as a podcast network—even when you’re still on your first show? Most creators launch solo, but Glenn Hebert took a different path, establishing a network identity from day one to shape listener expectations and drive long-term opportunity. His approach reveals how intentional structure early on can set the stage for growth, monetization, and even acquisition in a niche landscape. Glenn Hebert is a long-time podcaster who launched his first show in 2006 and built a podcast network serving the equestrian world. Over nearly two decades, he expanded from one show to a diverse roster of hosts and programs, ultimately leading to an acquisition. Glenn brings direct, hands-on experience with hiring, contracts, operations, and advertiser relations. Listen for: 4:04 Building a Podcast Network 9:47 Choosing the Right Hosts 16:03 Unique advertising model insights 18:26 Host read ads and sponsor products 21:47 Handling podcast sponsorship obligations 24:30 Contract control over content 29:09 Preparing for a Future Sale 37:16 Letting hosts leave with their show 41:22 Managing time and sponsor relations 50:44 Challenges of Being Discovered 53:37 Building a Trust-Based Network CONNECT WITH GUEST: GLENN HEBERT, FOUNDER OF THE HORSE RADIO NETWORK Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Horses in the Morning Podcast Podcast rec: Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail | Horses in the Morning Book rec: Cat and Wright Series by Lisa WYsocki CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman Systems, Sponsors, and Partners: Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Why Humanity and Creative Freedom Matter in Podcast Networks

What does it take to make compassion and human connection a true operational thread inside a podcast network, rather than just a slogan? This conversation asks how centering real relationships and creative freedom can shape not only who joins a network, but also how shows are supported, grown, and amplified. Guest Amy Lynn Durham draws from her personal journey in both corporate leadership and podcasting to share how a values-driven approach influences day-to-day decisions. Amy Lynn Durham left a corporate executive role to pursue her mission of infusing heart and connection into the workplace. After hundreds of guest spots and several years running her own show, she launched her podcast network at the end of 2025 with six shows. Her experience straddles independent podcast production, prior network participation, and now building a network from the ground up. Six months into building her own podcast network, she offers a practical window into shaping culture, structure, and opportunities for independent voices. Listen For: 5:44 Why she built the network 9:17 The creative freedom she wanted 15:31 Questions to ask a network 23:48 Under-promising on purpose 25:24 The two production lanes 28:49 Who the network is for 35:30 Building the network feed 47:21 Card decks as revenue 52:16 Cost to join and the lift CONNECT WITH GUEST: AMY LYNN DURHAM, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER | MAGIC THREAD MEDIA Website | LinkedIn Podcast rec: Circle’s Edges Book rec: The Quantum Leader by Dana Zohar | EdgeWalker Card Deck by Dr. Judy Neal CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn Book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman Systems, Sponsors, and Partners: Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Surviving as a Niche Network: Lessons from Scripted Fiction

What happens when a podcast network is built around storytelling as the organizing principle—not just as a buzzword or content strategy? That’s the lens this conversation explores: how prioritizing story and narrative coherence over ad inventory or content volume shapes not only production, but the listener’s entire experience. Joining to discuss, Jeremy Westphal explains why approaching everything—from show selection to advertising to surveys—with a story-first mindset creates a distinct identity and audience relationship. Jeremy Westphal draws on hands-on experience from building audio projects at major brands like Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to now running a 30+ show network, GZM, focused on original scripted fiction for kids, families, and young adults. With more than a decade of operational roles across production, ad sales, and partnerships, he brings unique perspective on how a podcast network can balance original storytelling with business realities. Listen For: 09:29 Creating Podcasts 13:41 Understanding Media Business Models 18:09 Challenges of original content creation 25:49 Understanding the audience demographics 29:33 Improving audience experience 32:57 Reaching your podcast audience 38:14 Importance of network and scale 48:52 Independent scripted productions success 50:24 The evolution of podcast production 01:00:00 Licensing books for podcasts 01:07:41 Building an Authentic Audience 01:11:37 Producing and sustaining a podcast CONNECT WITH GUEST: JEREMY WESTPHAL, DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS AT GZM SHOWS Website | LinkedIn Podcast rec: Sherlock & Co. | Earth Rangers Book rec: Dragonships series by Scott Reintgen CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn Systems, Sponsors, and Partners: Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Beyond Downloads: What Networks Really Want from Podcasters

When podcast creators see themselves as true partners in the network, not just talent, but contributors to the business side, where does that really take both the creator and the network? This episode unpacks how the attitude and approach of podcast hosts can be a deciding factor in whether a podcast network helps them grow and monetize, or leaves their show flat. Rachel Corbett offers a clear-eyed view from years of operating at scale in Australia, showing why long-term success hinges as much on mindset as on metrics. Rachel Corbett draws on more than a decade in Australian radio and podcasting, including hands-on leadership roles at major networks. She has seen the evolution of the industry from its early days and currently manages the NOVA Podcast Network with hundreds of shows and millions of monthly downloads. Her background transitioning from traditional media to podcast network operations provides practical insight into how networks actually function behind the scenes, and how the Australian market operates, which, in some cases, isn’t too different from other markets. Listen for: 04:20 Defining a Network as a Partnership 20:02 What Nova Actually Offers Creators 22:42 Podcast marketing strategies 24:27 What Audience Size Gets You In the Door 27:08 Working with brand collaborations 34:31 Providing feedback to show creators 37:10 When a Creator Is Better Off Going Independent 42:16 Building an Independent Network 46:36 How Revenue Splits Work With Partner Networks 50:40 Partnering with successful creators 57:12 Why Audio Feels Different Than Video CONNECT WITH GUEST: RACHEL CORBETT, NETWORK DIRECTOR | NOVA PODCASTS Website | Instagram | LinkedIn Podcast rec: Two Broke Chicks Book rec: Babel by R.F. Kuang CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman Systems, Sponsors, and Partners: Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Converting Articles into Downloads: The Intersection of Media and Podcasting

How can a podcast network use its editorial engine to make individual shows more visible, and does this strategy offer a real solution to the discoverability problem? With podcasts often lost in the shuffle, The Charisma Podcast Network offers an opportunity to transform audience reach and podcast growth through content- and article-driven workflows. John Matarazzo is the Media Manager at Charisma Media, with experience spanning legacy media and digital audio. After starting as a TV producer and moving into podcasting, he’s helped scale a faith-oriented podcast network within a 50-year-old publishing company, juggling workflows for about 70 shows and leveraging article-driven discovery methods for his podcasters and readers. Listen For: 00:00 Understanding podcast discoverability 06:35 Charisma Media's early growth story 10:24 Improving podcast discoverability 15:23 Building a podcast network foundation 18:06 Improving podcast management 22:28 Joining the Charisma Podcast Network 27:31 Innovative podcast discoverability feature 29:40 Diversity within the podcast network 32:10 Increasing website content output 36:11 Expanding podcast reach with video 42:07 Finding purpose and making an impact 50:44 Discussing network systems and collaboration CONNECT WITH GUEST: JOHN MATARAZZO MEDIA MANAGER FOR CHARISMA MEDIA Charisma Podcast Network | Charisma Magazine | LinkedIn | YouTube John's Podcast rec: No Dumb Questions - https://pod.link/1204701206 | John's Book rec: The Power to Prosper by Cap Chatfield - https://amzn.to/4euwJdz CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman - https://amzn.to/4tIyOXZ Systems, Sponsors, and Partners: Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Why Owning Every Show Drives Quality, Consistency, and Profits

What happens when a podcast network isn't just a loose collection of shows, but an operational system with complete ownership, direct host management, and monetization strategies that begin before a single episode is released? This conversation examines a distinctive “own everything, sell before launch” approach, offering a pragmatic look at why full control might create better sponsor relationships and higher margins. Mark LaCour draws on a decade-plus of experience building a podcast network from a single niche show into an international portfolio of 30+ in-house productions, the Oil and Gas Global Network, all within the oil and gas sector. Before starting his first podcast in 2011, he spent years in sales and technology, bringing a practical, industry-rooted perspective to every decision about network structure and growth. Listen For: 00:00 Exploring Podcast Networks 6:15 Finding the right podcast host 11:34 Starting the first podcast 20:07 Managing podcast sponsorships 25:10 Making money from conferences 29:31 AI and augmented reality threats 33:15 Blocking AI spiders on content 40:04 Leveraging loyal listeners for growth 42:03 Measuring podcast value beyond downloads 49:47 Future of Video Content Creation 1:00:52 Hire an editor to improve podcast 1:04:12 Staying Creative and Engaging Fans CONNECT WITH GUEST: MARK LACOUR, FOUNDER, OIL AND GAS GLOBAL NETWORK (OGGN) LinkedIn | Website | Podcast | X Book rec: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Podcast rec: Marketing Over Coffee - https://pod.link/251299460 CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman - https://amzn.to/4tIyOXZ Systems, Sponsors, and Partners: Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Why Most Networks Miss the Mark on Creator Experience

What does it look like to build a podcast network revenue model that actually respects the diversity of its shows? Jethro Jones offers a candid view into how value, sponsorship, and compensation flow within a network, especially when not every show fits the sponsorship mold. His approach challenges common assumptions about monetization, showing what’s possible when incentives are designed to align with real operational and creative dynamics. As a former school administrator who moved from running a single education podcast to launching the BE Podcast Network with 30+ shows, Jethro Jones has seen firsthand what it takes to help podcasters grow, learn, and discover the hidden challenges of network operations. His hands-on approach to onboarding creators, refining support systems, and structuring the business side is shaped by experience in both education and podcasting. Listen For: 8:27 Starting a podcast for self-improvement 21:06 Coordinating podcast production details 24:05 Perception of podcast advertising 27:31 Making ad reads authentic 33:36 Exploring niche podcast opportunities 37:53 Joining the BE Podcast Network 48:08 Delegating tasks for efficiency 51:35 Finding your podcast community 59:00 Sampling content and leveraging SEO 1:01:04 Reflections on productivity and focus 1:06:25 Rethinking network value and content CONNECT WITH GUEST: JETHRO JONES, FOUNDER, BE PODCAST NETWORK LinkedIn | Website | Podcast | X Jethro’s book rec: The Courage to be Disliked - https://amzn.to/4cIqOPL Jethro’s Podcast rec: Transformative Principal- https://pod.link/770942472 Jethro’s Podcast rec: Great Houses - https://pod.link/1885728664 CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman - https://amzn.to/4tIyOXZ Systems, Sponsors, and Partners: Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow

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