Podcast audiences are exploding, with 500 million listeners expected this year, and GBH has created a collection that captivates listeners around the world. Managing his producer Devin Maverick Robbins, he was a longtime NPR producer and editor until three years ago when he joined GBH, and has led the expansion of GBH's portfolio of podcasts. Learn more about her and what's next for her.
When did you know you wanted to be a journalist?
I attended a boarding school in India. I grew up primarily in Los Angeles, and my parents raised me in Sikhism. They sent me to school in Amritsar in northern Punjab where I studied Hindi and Punjabi, which was a great experience. However, when I was 12 years old, there was mass social unrest and schools were locked down for about a month. We didn't know what was going on and we were scared. For the first time, I realized the importance of having information about what is happening around me.
How did you get into podcasting?
My uncle was the director of the NPR Library in Washington, DC, for 40 years. When I was in graduate school, his uncle said, “Why don't you come to D.C. and do an internship at NPR?” I didn't even know what it was. He wanted to be on TV.But I got an internship story of the nation And I spent eight years there. I basically grew up on NPR.
GBH How have the listeners reacted to the podcast?
Over the past 10 years, 27 GBH podcasts have been downloaded approximately 41 million times, and six children's podcasts have been downloaded an additional 16 million times. Downloads are very important, but engagement may be more important. A download only indicates that the person listened, and does not necessarily mean that the person will stay and come back for something else. The listener response to “The Big Dig” was incredible. More people left comments on YouTube and other platforms than on any other podcast I've ever created. This is great. That means we will continue to rotate on the platform. You know your podcast is successful when people tell you they're listening and tell others to listen too. Another interesting discovery is, “What do you owe?” GBH News' quest for reparations for slavery is popular in Asia, particularly in Japan, South Korea, and China.
How will GBH expand its podcast library?
Most of our podcasts fall under one of the GBH brands: MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, GBH News, or GBH Kids. We retell some of our film and documentary stories for the ears. This includes incorporating GBH archive audio, using some of the interviews that didn't make it into the film, and adding video to accompany any new podcasts produced in collaboration with other teams. . “AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Presents” will be audio versions of some of the program's most popular documentaries. The 10-episode series stars Isaac Woodard, William Randolph Hearst, and Joseph McCarthy.
What exciting podcasts are we looking forward to?
We look forward to building on the success of The Big Dig, which was recently nominated for a Peabody Award, which recognizes excellence in storytelling that reflects social issues and emerging voices of our time. The series has been downloaded more than 3 million times to date, earning him the No. 1 spot on Apple's History Podcast chart and remaining in Apple's top 50 podcasts across all genres for the duration. And it was named to several “Best of 2023” lists, including: new yorker. Although I can't share any details yet, we are working with him on GBH News to produce a new podcast, an original Boston-based investigative series with a national interest similar to “The Big Dig.” GBH's impressive archive also includes videos.
What’s next for the GBH podcast?
We are planning various models to help GBH continue to produce podcasts in a cost-effective manner, in addition to the continuation of our ongoing popular podcasts 'DETOURS' and 'The FRONTLINE Dispatch'. , we hope to produce a new GBH News investigative series each year. ” New episodes of “Keyshawn Solves It,” Work It Out Wombat!, Arthur and Pinkalicious & Peterific.
What do you do when you’re not producing podcasts?
As a lifelong animal advocate, I help rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome abandoned cats and dogs. You can also find me riding my bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money for HIV/AIDS services at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.
Check out the GBH podcast here.
