iHM's Pittman Views Podcasts As Extension Of Radio

Bob Pittman

iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman told an investor conference on Thursday that podcast advertising trends have remained strong during the coronavirus pandemic and described podcasting as a Netflix for radio, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Speaking during the virtual Bank of America Securities 2020 Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference in a session that was webcast, he said: "Podcasting is already bigger than streaming music services like Spotify, and the growth continues, so we are investing heavily into it."

Pittman also shared the company's take on the space, saying: "Internally, we think about podcasting as sort of like Netflix was for TV, it's sort of the on-demand version of radio."

But he emphasized that iHeartMedia doesn't plan to leave the business opportunity to a disruptor like the entertainment industry did in streaming when Netflix came along. "We see it as an extension of radio," he said. "Unlike the TV people, we don't intend to give our power to create this product to someone else. We are creating it ourselves."

Pittman also said that the host was "very important" for podcasts, driving their success or lack thereof. And addressing the outlook for podcasting as a business, he said: "I feel like this is another one of those that is going to surprise on the upside."

Pittman was also asked about the relationship with John Malone's Liberty Media, which owns a 5 percent stake in iHeart, lauding the company as a "valued" and "supportive" shareholder. "We certainly have tremendous respect for their management team." Highlighting Liberty's early investment in audio entertainment companies, including SiriusXM, Pittman called Liberty "brethren in terms of our view of audio."