Must Read
SiriusXM announced that it's laying off 475 jobs (~8% of the workforce) across nearly all departments.
In an email to the employees, CEO Jennifer Witz cites "the uncertain economic environment" among other factors for these layoffs.
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Witz writes that the company's investments this year have caused it to reconsider how the "organization is structured."
In November 2022, Witz told the employees that SiriusXM's 2023 plans would include a complete review of the company.
SiriusXM's podcast acquisitions have included Stitcher (for $325M) and Conan O'Brien's Team Coco (for $150M.)
CNBC notes that SiriusXM has been impacted by a decline in automotive sales because new cars often come with satellite radio subscriptions.
The Federal Trade Commission charged BetterHelp with sharing customers' sensitive data with companies such as Facebook and Snapchat.
The online counseling platform has been one of the top advertisers in podcasting, continuing to be No. 1 on that list until December 2022.
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The FTC accused BetterHelp of sharing data, including "email addresses, IP addresses, and health questionnaire information," to Facebook, Snapchat, Criteo, and Pinterest for advertising and targeting purposes.
BetterHelp has agreed to pay $7.8M to settle FTC's charges. If FTC's order were to go through, this money would be given to customers who signed up in the Aug. 1, 2017-Dec. 31, 2020 period.
In November 2022, BetterHelp spent $9.1M on podcast ads and consistently ranked as the top spender in podcast ads.
PODS ON THE BLOCK
"Dynamite Doug" is a new art conspiracy podcast about Douglas Latchford. Latchford was an expert in Cambodian art, but as the country went through a genocidal regime, Douglas "stole almost everything."
"Not Alone" is a new interview podcast hosted by Valeria Lipovetsky. The "model turned thought-leader" converses with experts on topics ranging from relationships to creativity.
Disclaimer: This podcast was produced by FRQNCY Media, where I work as a marketer. I was not involved in the production of this podcast.
"Vinfamous: Wine Crimes & Scandals" is a new podcast that discusses conspiracies and secrets of the wine world. The first episode, "Murder in the Vineyard," tells the tale of a Napa Valley winery deal gone bad.
"7 Deadly Sins" is a new series released under "No Stupid Questions." The first episode asks if Sloth is a "sin or a virtue."
Special mention: "Nerdette" is an ongoing interview podcast sharing book recommendations and "inspiring ideas." Shreya: I particularly enjoyed the "Go to your room!" episode, which analyzes a list of etiquettes for 2023. Thanks, Devin, for recommending this in the latest issue of Podstack.
Keep your eyes open for