The BBC has announced five new podcasts, all featuring hosts who already have some profile.
First of all, let me say that this is no disrespect to the people hosting the new podcast collection that BBC Sounds has just launched. I'm not a BBC basher either. I love the BBC and much of what it broadcasts.
But the new press release opens with the line: “BBC Sounds is launching a host of exciting podcasts featuring a star line-up of brilliant new presenters.”
It's certainly a great talent, but it's not new. Every new podcast that the BBC has announced in its new line-up is hosted by someone who already has some kind of profile. They may be “new” to offering podcasts, but I appreciate that they're already a known name and have a vested interest, but at the moment the podcast industry is just getting bigger. I feel like that.
This is an opportunity to introduce authentic new voices that people haven't heard before. Releasing a podcast that provides an opportunity for infiltration to those who were previously unable to do so, giving them a platform they would otherwise have little opportunity to gain. And to put the power of the BBC's propaganda machine behind them.
Rather, it feels like a very closed store. I mention the host because the problem is not with the player, but with the game.
I'm sure the programs announced by the BBC will be great as well.There is miss me? With Lily Allen and Mikita Oliver off the telly With Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page How to get noticed Along with Relan the youngest heroes of all time with Nicola Coughlan Who will replace Avril Lavigne? Together with the wonderful Joanne McNally (I'm so excited for her, and of the five new appointees here, I think she's the most deserving of the podium).
There wasn't a single person who hadn't heard of it, but this is my perspective and it may not be someone else's.
I've been involved with the Independent Podcast Awards, which will be back in 2024, and one of the reasons this show exists in the first place is because people with commissioning budgets are ignoring a lot of the untapped talent out there. That's it. They hire big names and move up the ladder behind them as quickly as possible, so us independents don't have a chance to move up the ladder.
Again, I have a vested interest here. I have a movie podcast here, but I'm nobody. But I also have a bit of a platform here, so if you've read this far and are interested in other shows, I'd recommend the following:
sausage on a fork
language diorama
life after what i did
best bits podcast
Find out more about the new BBC commission here. But if you're podcasting to commissioners with a budget, look beyond the celebrity list. It's your responsibility to loosen up your game a little.
