We spoke with Brad about putting together 2,000 daily podcast episodes

There's a full link here: https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/interviews/sari-azout/

Read this interview over here: https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/interviews/brian-conlan/

Tim is Executive Editor, Audio, at Radio New Zealand.

RNZ's new 17-episode podcast Nark tells the extraordinary story of New Zealand's first prison murder at Mt Eden in 1985, where burglar Ross Appelgren was convicted twice—and had both convictions quashed—for killing fellow inmate Darcy Te Hira. Appelgren went to his grave in 2013 maintaining his innocence, even escaping prison once to plead his case on radio. Now, thirteen years after his death, his widow is taking the case back to court to clear his name. At the heart of this gripping investigation is a fundamental question: can you trust the testimony of convicted criminals, particularly "the Nark" who claimed to witness Appelgren commit the murder?

What makes this podcast groundbreaking is RNZ's innovative use of AI voice cloning to bring Appelgren's own words to life. With the blessing of his family and estate, the production team used ElevenLabs to recreate Appelgren's voice from rare radio interviews, combined with a New Zealand actor's performance to capture his intonation and Kiwi accent. Rather than simply having an actor read his memoirs, court transcripts, and affidavits, listeners hear what sounds remarkably like Appelgren himself pleading his case across hours of content—a deeply moving experience for his family and a powerful connection for audiences.

This marks RNZ's first use of AI in journalism, carefully considered through ethical working groups and justified by the principle of giving voice to the voiceless. Lead producer Mike Wesley Smith has spent two and a half years investigating this case, and the result spans 35 to 65 minutes per episode, rolling out three times weekly through early December. It's an ambitious true crime series that pushes the boundaries of audio storytelling whilst grappling with questions of justice, credibility, and how we remember those who can no longer speak for themselves.

Inception Point AI creates AI-generated podcast personalities and produces content across multiple platforms, claiming to operate the world's largest independent podcast company by show count with over 160,000 episodes. CEO Jeanine Wright acknowledges their early content quality was poor but argues they've improved significantly, comparing it to how traditional podcasters cringe at their first episodes. The company uses SEO-focused titling and can produce topical content rapidly—launching shows within an hour of breaking news—with a team of eight people releasing 3,000 episodes weekly. Wright admits human review is necessary for sensitive topics like news and politics but not for lower-risk content like gardening, and now includes AI disclosures in show notes after initially not doing so. She predicts AI will become the default content creation tool within 12-24 months, arguing the distinction between AI and human-created content will become irrelevant, similar to how digital photography replaced film.

James Burtt, founder of the newly launched Pivot Productions Group, shares his vision for transforming the podcasting landscape by helping celebrity talent maximize their earning potential through IP ownership rather than traditional pay-per-session models. Drawing inspiration from successful sports personalities like Peter Crouch and Gary Lineker's ventures, Burtt discusses the untapped opportunities in celebrity podcasting, the growing trend of premium content behind paywalls, and the importance of building genuine communities around shows rather than relying solely on traditional advertising revenue. The conversation explores how podcasting is evolving from a "second class digital citizen" to a legitimate business platform, with Burtt offering candid insights about the challenges of launching new productions with high-profile talent while remaining optimistic about the industry's growth potential—noting that with only a quarter of people listening weekly, there's still tremendous room for expansion and great content to find its audience.

Roger Nairn from JAR Podcast Solutions joins James Cridland to discuss the company's strategic rebrand from JAR Audio and their new systematic approach to branded podcasting. Nairn explains their JAR system (Job, Audience, Result) - a framework that treats podcasts as business solutions rather than marketing experiments.

The conversation explores how brands are increasingly demanding measurable ROI from their podcast investments, moving beyond vanity metrics to track brand lift, consideration, and conversion through custom analytics stacks and partnerships with research firms like Signal Hill Insights. Nairn shares insights from campaigns including American Express's "Build it Braver" podcast, demonstrating how podcasts can drive specific business outcomes like increased purchase consideration.

They also tackle the challenge of CEO-driven podcast initiatives, discussing when founder-hosted shows work versus when they become expensive indulgences, and why successful branded podcasts prioritise audience value over self-promotion.

Sean King, GM of Media & Entertainment at Veritone, discusses how Amazon's recent Wondery restructuring reflects a strategic shift towards integrated audio ecosystems, consolidating their various platforms like Audible and Wondery to better navigate the evolving podcast landscape. He emphasizes that while host-read ads remain important, the industry needs a balanced advertising approach as audiences become increasingly fragmented across multiple platforms like YouTube, social media, and streaming services, making measurement and monetization more complex but requiring content creators to meet audiences wherever they consume content.