What’s a Podcast Extended - Adam Carolla Preaches The Audio Gospel; Amazon All-In on Podcasts; Paying Attention to Creative; Podcast’s New Playground
Presenting The Media Roundtable Limited Series: “What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews.” This week, we have a guest who’s not only influential in podcasting history but in Oxford Road history too.
While conducting interviews for the series, Daniel Granger (CEO, Oxford Road and Veritone One) got a chance to sit down with audio legend Adam Carolla (Host of The Adam Carolla Show).
Together they talked: Audio Magic, Betting on Yourself, Podcasting’s Meritocracy, and more. Let’s dive in.
“ Big picture, the people with the voices and the people with the ideas are gonna win. That's what makes it pure.”
Adam Carolla (Podcast Pioneer, Host of The Adam Carolla Show)
16 Million Minutes ⏱️ - When Adam left radio for podcasting in 2009, the space was pre-monetization. But Adam had a proven ability to connect with his audience, plus 16 million monthly minutes of streaming listenership to back it up. He bet on himself, paying $9k/month for hosting until he could figure out how to profit from podcasting. He started by pioneering live podcast tapings, and when Dan tracked Adam down about ad placements (giving rise to Oxford Road as we know it), Adam’s bet on himself continued to pay off.
Audio Goes Deeper 🎧 - Video gets a lot of attention, but for Adam, the lack of visual distraction and the portability of audio means he can connect with audio-only content more deeply. CAOs, look for podcast hosts like Adam who’ve started in audio-only formats because they know what it takes for their voices to come to life and connect with audiences.
The Podcast Meritocracy ⚖️ - Even though Podcasting goes through waves of “stunt casting,” where celebrity hosts launch new shows, the medium is fundamentally a meritocracy. After the initial curiosity dies down, new hosts still have to prove they’re worth listening to week after week. Audiences, not algorithms, connecting with hosts and choosing accordingly, has always been at the heart of podcasting.
For more insights from one of podcasting’s Founding Fathers, tune into the full episode below.
The Classifieds
Many Pearls of Wisdom
Network: FannieCo Podcasting
Monthly Downloads: 75k
Current Civility Score: 72, MEDIUM
Doomscrolling on TikTok gets a horrible rap, but for curious lifelong learners it can unlock some of the greatest mysteries. This opportunity from FannieCo Podcasting is hosted by a husband and wife duo who love to deep dive, research, and learn. Alex Pearlman (pearlmania500) is best known as a TikToker who substantiates political tenets, breaking news, and historical precedent whilst wielding his outrageous persona. His off-camera wife (Mrs. Pearlmania500) often chimes in on his videos to provide yet another perspective and echo his sentiments. It makes perfect sense the twosome now spend each week dissecting the same viral content they react to regularly on the web. So far the show (now in its third season) has a plethora of DR advertisers, with the best performers being convenience-based apps and B2C products. Close a couple of those open tabs and click the link below for more.
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
Network: Voicing Change Media
Monthly Downloads: 135k
Current Civility Score: 90, HIGH
Comedy has become the dominant genre, but that wasn’t always the case. Often seen as a strange, unsafe, and untrustworthy genre, there’s now a litany of creators who’ve built spaces, audiences, and many advertisers who’ve found success too. Rainn Wilson may be ultra-famous, yet his approach is pleasingly down to earth. For each episode, he sits down with a different guest to showcase unfiltered, humane conversations regarding the state of their souls, and how to prioritize one’s own sense of self. Though there’s often goofy antics and hilarious bits, what really sets this offering apart is its insistence on authenticity and doing good in the world. If you’re looking for a customer interested in spiritual guidance, self-improvement, or a reprieve from the daily grind, you’ll find them easily here. Our prices have never been lower, so now’s the time to click below for further enlightenment.
In Case You Missed It
🎨 The Value of Creative 🎯
Turns out, what we’ve known all along is substantiated; it’s not who you reach — it’s what you say. New research from Westwood One’s Pierre Bouvard shows marketers are wildly undervaluing the power of creative, assigning it just 19% of sales impact when the real number is closer to 47%! Meanwhile, targeting is getting way too much credit. Consider this a call to elevate creative strategy from afterthought to top priority. If your audio ad sounds like wallpaper, don’t be shocked when it blends in — it's time to turn up the volume on your storytelling.
💰 ”Prime” Time for Podcasts
Podcasting has come out swinging in 2025 with solid ad growth, and Amazon is claiming the crown as 2024’s top advertiser in the space. That’s right: the same company that can deliver a mattress, a microwave, and a murder mystery podcast in one click is also leading the charge in audio spend (we’ve got a whole Ad Infinitum Episode about that). Podcasting isn’t just brand-safe, it’s brand-essential. If Amazon's betting big on ear-time, it's time to ask whether your audio strategy is keeping pace… or still buffering.
🧒 Pod is the New Playground
Nickelodeon and Starglow Media are bringing beloved characters like Dora and the Paw Patrol pups into the podcast space — and it’s not just about entertaining kids. It’s a smart way to reach parents of young children during those in-between moments: the school drop-off, the Saturday morning shuffle, or wind-down time at night. This is a brand-safe opportunity to show up where families are actually listening—not on screens, but in their everyday routines. Audio might just be the new parenting co-pilot, and you have a seat ready in the cockpit.
#SaveTheLiveReads
Ground News – The Doctor’s Remedy For Algorithmitis
Straight from Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, MD, DPhil, the thought-provoking and hyper-critical co-host of America Dissected, this week’s #STLR is all about the challenges of navigating media bias in the form of Ground News. Dr. El-Sayed substantiates the usefulness of this platform’s unique tools, like its "blind spots" feature, which helps users compare different perspectives on the same story. He further demonstrates how this feature enables users to break free from echo chambers and make more informed decisions, creating a sense of empowerment and trust. The call to action, with a limited-time discount, adds a sense of urgency while reinforcing the value of Ground News for critical thinking. Along with the host’s background in politics and civil service, Ground News is a welcome new resource for a well-rounded understanding of complex issues. The pairing of this podcast host and advertiser aligns well for a target audience looking to compare news sources, read between the lines of media bias, and break free from algorithmitis.
Reach Diehard Sports Fans with ALLCITY Network
Sports fans don’t just follow their teams—they live them. ALLCITY Network delivers the most complete local sports media experience with daily podcasts, pregame/postgame shows, and community-driven coverage that fans can’t get anywhere else.
But ALLCITY isn’t just redefining podcasts—it’s expanding daily sports coverage across Roku, Samsung, and connected TVs, giving brands more ways to engage beyond just Podcast platforms and YouTube.
For advertisers, ALLCITY is a community that converts, offering turnkey mid-roll placements, tentpole event sponsorships, and custom brand integrations. With 25+ shows dedicated to the NFL Draft next week alone, there’s never been a better time to reach engaged sports fans.
Looking for a smarter way to advertise in sports? Email advertising@allcitynetwork.com to start the conversation.
If you've read this far, thank you!
The Influencer is a production from the team at Oxford Road.
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