Thursday, November 14th, 2019

1:15 PM - 2:00 PM

Session I: Herscher Hall, Guerin B, Webcast Live

Monetizing Podcasts – From Branded Content and Advertising to Subscriptions

Steve Pratt, Co-founder, Pacific Content

Jeanine Percival Wright, COO & CLO, Simplecast

Zachary Davis, VP, Premium Content, Himalaya Media Inc.

Matt Turck, Chief Revenue Officer, Megaphone

Jason Baron, Senior Vice President, Direct Response, WarnerMedia Ad Sales

Chris Peterson, President, Kindred Media, LionTree Advisors, Moderator

Steve Pratt is the co-founder of Pacific Content, a company of 22 passionate podcast nerds that focuses exclusively on creating original podcasts with brands. Our shows have won Webby Awards, Digiday Branded Content Awards, and Shorty Awards.  Our podcast partners include Facebook, Dell Technologies, Mozilla, Slack, Red Hat, NYT T Brand Studio, and Charles Schwab. The Pacific Content team also writes regularly about podcasting at http://blog.pacific-content.com.

Chris Peterson, President, Kindred Media, LionTree LLC: Chris Peterson is a digital media executive, with a focus on audio. Peterson has a unique background with demonstrated success in broadcast radio, streaming and podcasting. Currently, he is the President of Kindred Media at LionTree Advisors, serving as the lead on Kindred Media products, such as KindredCast, as well as advising on audio & digital strategy for clients. Previously, he was Executive Vice President of Podcasting at iHeartMedia, commercial radio’s first podcast executive, where he developed and launched the iHeartPodcast Network, which grew to be the largest commercial podcast network in the world. He also led the acquisition of Stuff Media, which saw the 2nd largest commercial podcast network, HowStuffWorks, become a part of the iHeartPodcast Network, cementing iHeartMedia as a leader in podcasting. Peterson has also launched successful online radio streams for networks, as well as launching nationally syndicated radio hosts like Elvis Duran and Bobby Bones nationally. Peterson resides in Westport, CT with his wife and two daughters.

Zachary Davis is the vice president for premium content at Himalaya Media, a creator-focused podcast platform, network and production studio headquartered in San Francisco. Davis is also the host and executive producer of the Harvard podcastMinistry of Ideas, a founding member of the Hub & Spoke audio collective and the organizer of the Sound Educationconference. Before joining Himalaya Media in 2019, Davis was a producer at HarvardX where he focused on producing massive open online courses (MOOCs) for the edX education platform. Ranging from Shakespeare to American Government, his courses have been taken by more than 500,000 people. Davis is a graduate of Harvard and Brigham Young University and lives in Boston with his wife and two children.

Matt Turck was named Chief Revenue Officer of Megaphone (formally Panoply Media) in January 2015. He oversaw the development of the first custom podcasts, partnering with HBO Documentaries in March of 2015. And Matt was instrumental in creating GE Podcast Theater (The Message, LifeAfter), which is still considered the most successful custom podcast program. He was also an early experimenter in podcast advertising, starting when Audible sponsored Slate’s Political Gabfest in 2008. Prior to joining Megaphone, Matt was the Publisher of Slate, a pioneer in digital journalism and publishing, where he helped build Slate into a sustainably profitable business. He spent 20 years with Time Incorporated, holding several prominent positions, including Publisher/President of This Old House (TV, print, digital) and Associate Publisher of Time Magazine.

Jason Baron is senior vice president of direct marketing for WarnerMedia Ad Sales. Within this role, Baron oversees all direct response advertising across WarnerMedia’s portfolio of leading brands, including managing advertising sales for the WarnerMedia Podcast Network. Based in New York, Baron reports to Joe Hogan, executive vice president of sales and marketing, WarnerMedia. Under Baron’s leadership, the company’s direct response division implemented new strategies resulting in significant revenue growth across all categories. By initiating an integration of the direct response teams across linear and digital groups, Baron led the division to double its direct response ad revenue by 2012.  Baron joined the company in 1997 as a CNN account executive and held ascending positions before being promoted to senior vice president in 2011. Previously, Baron held sales roles as an assistant and media buyer at Corinthian Media, and as a buyer in account services at Grey Advertising. He received his bachelor’s degree in communications and history from Rutgers University, and lives in New Jersey with his wife and two young daughters.  WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC Entertainment, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others.