456. NPR Broadcaster Takes On Google’s Voice Cloning

0:05 Good morning, podcasting, Morning Chat. Today is Wednesday, February 18th, 2026. And today it's podcast news and comment. And we're breaking down Apple Podcasts going all in on video. And NPR host is suing Google and a tax twist creators can't ignore. So if you're listening live on Clubhouse, hit the share button on the left hand side of the screen and share it. However, Clubhouse lets you. And if you're catching us via podcast, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, please share this episode with a fellow podcaster. And now give us about 30 seconds and we'll get things rolling. Thanks for being here. Good morning again podcasting morning chat. Thanks so much for being here.

1:23 I am your host Mark Ronick and currently on stage with me my Co hosts we have producer Ashley Feller, Dr. Faye, Jonathan Howard, Sid Meadows, Ralph Estep, BC Babbles and Nick Naulback. And also good morning to Nikki AKA Tide here on Clubhouse. You might hear us or at least me call her by one of those two names. And a shout out to Tim and Mike who have joined us bright and early this morning in the chat. Thank you and remember, you can see all at least some of these lovely faces if you go to at 7:00 AM live anyway, Eastern Time that is.

2:04 You can catch us at Podcasting Morning chat.com/youtube and you can see several of these lovely faces. And to learn about all of us, you can go to podcastingmorningchat.com/about and learn more about each and every one of us. You know, I was thinking, I, I shared yesterday that we had our podcast's 4th anniversary over the weekend and I was reflecting this morning a little bit on how much this show has evolved. I'm curious, for those of you who have been with me here since the get go, or at least early on over the span of these four years, do you remember I used to when I did my welcome, instead of just calling each of you out saying who's here on stage, I actually went to each and every one of you after I introduced myself and said hello and gave you a moment to say hello as well.

3:02 It worked OK when we were doing it as a live only show, and I think that's when we got rid of it was when we went to also a podcast format 'cause I just recognized that a bunch of introductions from 5 to 8 people takes up a ton of time. And we're not really providing a ton of value all the time in that. They're just kind of pleasantries that we used to do. We got rid of that and I've been trying to rack my brain 'cause I know we've evolved a lot since then. And yes, of course, I can go back to the archives and listen, see episodes to find those differences, how we've evolved, but I just haven't done that yet. So if anybody thinks of anything that we used to do that we don't do now, I'm all ears.

3:46 Would love to hear about that. No pressure for right now, but if you're thinking about it, maybe bring it up at some point over the next week or so. OK, so it is Newsday, so we're going to hop right into all the news and headlines around the world of podcasting, starting with some data for you. Over this past week, 604,281 podcasts published at least one new episode, which happens to be down from last week, down by 3.2%. And over the past 30 days, almost 2.5 million podcasts published at least one new episode, and that's up almost 17%.

4:36 Did somebody want to chime in? I heard somebody come off mic. No, it's just me. I'm getting ready. Oh, OK, sorry, no problem. Well, yeah. So without further ado, let's bring in Dr. for the top fives from both Apple and Spotify. Mm hmm. Spotify's top five. #5 is crime junkie #4 is good hang with Amy Poehler #3 start the Tiffany is Shawn Ryan show #2 is this past week in ritheo Bonham the. Fifth one is Joe Rogan Experience. Yes, it is, as usual as usual. And what's our top five, which I think also has another usual suspect at #1 Go for it, Dr. Yeah, this kind of feels like a repeat of last week's when I said last week's Apple top five.

5:28 But #5 is good. Hang #4 is Dateline, NBC #3 is, you know, you know, you love them. Joe Rogan #2 is Crime Junkie and the number one. My timing was off a little bit on that The Daily. There it is, the daily and your timing was only off because my timing was off. I, I hit the timpani a little later than I normally would. One, one day I'll get it right, or at least maybe one month I'll get it right every single wait week. We will see. And also we've got some events for ya. 1st next week, Tuesday, February 24th, Business and Podcasting Network event for female entrepreneurs. This is hosted by the Female Entrepreneurs Business and Podcasting Society.

6:22 It's a virtual event and you can get that link in our show notes. You can also get it at podnews.com/events. Also, I wouldn't be right if I didn't mention the Empowered Podcasting Conference coming in August, the weekend of August 21st through the 23rd in Charlotte, NC. I say it wouldn't be right because this conference was born out of the Podcasting Morning chat and hosted by yours truly along with a couple of other familiar faces. So yeah, go to empoweredpodcasting.com. Get your tickets today. It's certainly one of the more affordable tickets as far as podcasting conference goes, conferences goes. So come check it out, see what we're all about and get yourself a ticket and come join us in Charlotte and Dr. Do you want to take the next one?

7:17 The next event since it's yours? So it's the meet up and match up with podcasters, speakers and authors. It's hosted by the Podcasters Directory and. Oh, I have. I think I copy. Pasted this from last week and so that's why the date is all screwy, but it happens. Tomorrow, the 19th. Yes, it happens every single Thursday, 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM Oh, Central time. That would be my time. And the discount code is PMC, the initials of our show PMC. You'll get in for free. And again, this is the place to go if you want to meet other podcasters, if you want to meet authors, if you want to meet speakers.

7:59 You need people for your show or you need to get on a show. This is the place to go to. Thank you, Dr. Without further ado, quick tip, smart move. Yeah, Content Creators business. Today's content creators business bite is brought to you by the guy who's about to host it, Ralph E step of Content creatorsaccountant.com. Ralph is a licensed accountant and also now my accountant, and he has over 30 years of experience at Content Creators Account Tint. Let me say that again at contentcreatorsaccountant.com, he helps creators stop guessing about taxes and money, turning financial chaos into clarity. Working with Ralph, Ralph has been one of the best decisions I've made, and I encourage you to check out his website againthatscontentcreatorsaccountant.com.

8:58 And without further ado, Ralph, take it away. Well, good morning, Mark. Thank you for that nice introduction. And this morning I want to talk to content creators and side hustlers because this year's tax season has a money trap that could hit your bottom line. You might see a lot of things in the news about digital payment platforms like PayPal and Venmo and Stripe. And the thing that we are seeing is they have to send you what's called a 1099 K form if you made over $20,000 on their platform and had at least 200 transactions. That's the news this tax season. I'm seeing it all over the place. But here's the dangerous part. Just because you didn't get one of those 109899-K forms doesn't mean Uncle Sam thinks you didn't earn the money.

9:40 Here's the money reality. All income is taxable. I was on a call yesterday with a content creator. He says, well, they didn't send me a document, Ralph, do I need to report it? Yes, whether a form shows up or not. If you took payments for goods, services, digital products, if you're a coach through apps and didn't report it, you go to tax plus penalties and interest when you file. Now, what does this mean for your finances? What it means is you still got to log and report all your income, not just what gets reported on a form. Less paperwork doesn't mean less tax out. And if you're guessing or ignoring it, you're gambling with the bill instead of planning for a check. So here's my big take away for today. Some money moves you can make right away. Track all your payments weekly, don't wait for tax time. Separate your business and personal accounts and put aside a percentage for taxes.

10:28 No 1099 form K NO1099K form doesn't mean no tax. It means you've got your own numbers or your tax bill might be your own wallet and you don't want to end up in jail with tax evasion. So that is my tip for today. It's a little bit of blended news and a tip all together, so thank you. Mark Yeah, thank you, Ralph. So my question to you, I know you said it's 20K on a single platform. What if it we're 20K across multiple platforms? Does it change? So that that's the little nuanced thing right now. So the IRS rules are by platform. They're basically dictating the terms and the rules to the platform. So the platform looks at you and it looks how many transactions you had, either 200 transactions or $20,000. And each platform is a separate thing. But what messes a lot of content creators up is they don't get that form and they forget about it. I don't think there's any willfulness to this. I don't think it's anything intentional. It's just you forgot.

11:25 Oh, yeah, I did have that Patreon account. Yeah. I earned a whole $200 on it. Well, technically that's taxable income to you, so just be aware of that. I'm a big believer in having what I call an income map. Whenever you have a new income source, put it on a map and make sure you're checking those things. I like to check them weekly, but you definitely want to check them at tax time because this is one of those oops moments. And here's what happens. You file your tax return, you think everything is fine. And then next summer, literally next summer, you're going to get a letter from the IRS that says, excuse me, Mr. Mark, we found something you didn't report. And then you're going to panic. So this is my way of keeping you out of panic mode and making sure you're keeping track of everything because like I said, just 'cause you didn't get a form doesn't mean it's not income to you. Yeah.

12:11 Thank you, Ralph. OK, so I will take the next story. This is short and sweet. I saw this actually on POD news this morning. Rd. has announced Direct Connect support for its Wireless Pro and Wireless Go systems. This is allowing creators to plug their transmitters straight into a computer or a smartphone via USB, no receiver required. That means fewer cables, faster setups, and a cleaner mobile recording workflow for podcasters, streamers, and on the Go creators. It is a small technical update, but I think it's got big practical implications for anyone who values portability and speed in their production setup.

12:54 So yeah, they're making it a little easier for you. Also, according to pod News, I saw this earlier this week, maybe as recently as yesterday, they shared that filling up your gas tank might now fill up your podcast queue as well. Purple Daily, which is the Minnesota Vikings show from the Gamut Podcast Network, is now playing at QuikTrip gas pumps. According across the region. While you're standing there feeling up, you'll get a 32nd preview right on the pump screen. And if you'd like, I've got a, I've got a clip to play for you. Now, this was recorded literally at a gas pump. So you've got some traffic noise, you've got some background noise.

13:42 I will say that it'll clear up. At first it's really noisy. I did run it through a phonic and I gave it a light Polish because too polished it made it sound really weird. So this is from a an actual quick trip gas pump and it comes from that podcast I mentioned a moment ago, Purple Daily. It's another Purple Daily quick take Judd. Minnesota's own Tom Pellicero lists these 4 quarterbacks as options for the Vikings this year. Mac Jones, Geno Smith, Kyler Murray and Kirk Cousins. Be prepared for their turn to Kirk Cousins folks. It makes so much sense coming back from the Falcons.

14:23 He's going to be let go and he knows the system. He knows O'Connell. And you know what? The Vikings need a quarterback. My good man. Stability. Cousins provides that short term Find Purple Daily on YouTube, Apple, Spotify or the SCORE North ACT. Not, not bad. I mean, I think that's a cool thing to do, right? You can't put a whole podcast on there because nobody would really catch a lot of it. But you do like a 32nd preview or a clip from the podcast. I could see that being of value to a podcaster. Would you do that? Would anybody here do that? Would you put an ad for your podcast at a gas pump? See. Ralph is nodding his head yes. I don't know that mine would work at a gas pump, but yeah, who knows.

15:06 Why do you say that? Why do you say that, Jonathan? I think sports and that sort of thing is more gas pump oriented than a lesson about storytelling, but I could be wrong. Yeah. I mean, look, if it's some, if it's a riveting clip, it's, you know, you get 30 seconds according to this, you have some kind of 32nd teaser. I think it could work for a really just about any show, but obviously, you know, it's, it's not speaking directly to a captured audience either. In other words, you're captured audience, it's not your target audience necessarily. So it could be hit or miss. Ralph, what do you want to add? Oh man, I'm loving this idea 'cause I'm just picturing. Are you running out of gas on your finances? Like, I can see my shows tying right into this gas costing you an arm and a leg these days, Mark. I got to figure out how to do that. Dude, that's beautiful.

15:56 Yeah, I love it. Look into Quick Trip and see if they've got anything that they're offering. All I know is that this is something that was done just with this specific podcast. We'll see who who else joins this lineup. Nikki, you had something. Go ahead. I was going to say that this might sound silly, but my podcast is all about connecting with parents and making people feel seen. And when I'm at the gas station and that's when I feel most lonely, I feel isolated, standing there for like I'm on an island by myself. And so if I were to somehow come up with a play on that about connectedness, meeting up with other people, feeling like you're not alone in your journey or your story, things like that, I could see that going pretty well for my podcast. Great call, Nikki.

16:44 Yeah, very cool. I don't know. I don't know that I would do it for the podcasting morning chat. I think it we're too specific. It's for content creators. And yes, of course there's tons of content creators out there, but I don't think it's going to appeal to the masses necessarily. I'd have to start a different kind of podcast if I really wanted to take advantage of that. All right, let's keep it moving. I see Dr. is now joined us on camera. So, Dr., why don't you go ahead and take that story I asked you about while you were cooking some eggs? OK, so Captivate just made a bold move in the US market, appointing Rob Wolk Walsh, Rob Walsh and to podcaster relations and bringing on Elsie Escobar as creators of Success and Community Manager. I believe that these are made-up names just to get them over there, but that's OK.

17:41 Yeah, and and it's V it's VP of podcaster relations for Rob and Elsie is creator success and community manager, which is sounds, at least the title sounds similar to the role she used to have. Right, so if these two names sound familiar, it's because they were over at Lipson and they had a show together called Oh Shoot, I Forgot. Was it podcast? The feed. The feed, yeah. And it was, it was my, it was appointment listening for me. I listened to that all of the time. And when I was just starting in, excuse me, I'm kind of veering off the story here, but when I was just started in podcasting, I would listen to the feed and it would give me street cred because I was just regurgitating everything that I heard on that show.

18:33 It made me sound like I knew what I was doing when I really kind of didn't. But both spent 18 years at Lipson and are both are podcast Hall of Fame inductees. The higher signal captivates intent to accelerate US growth and deepen its advertising and monetization strategies. This is not a quiet staffing update. This is a strategic shift aimed squarely at creators and publishers and advertisers. So the highlighted points are Rob will focus on expanding US creator and publisher partnerships, LC will drive community growth and creator success initiatives, both will. This is what I'm excited about.

19:19 So everyone just a little moment of silence, OK? Both will take over the in and around podcasting show. So basically it's the feed ish. But on Captivate, I am so excited it's coming back. There's no date yet as to when that's going to happen. And the move aligns with Global's broader push with the Global's broader push, including its new global studio production hub. I think I'm so excited about this. So when industry veterans move from place to place, from platform to platform or stay, do you stay loyal to the tool or do you follow that creator? Yeah.

20:02 And I think this question, yeah, it makes sense because I think really what's behind it is the fact that these two were at Libsyn. By the way, this feels like a giant FU to Libsyn, Yes. It does. And so if you were maybe on Libsyn, maybe you were loyal to Elsie or Rob or both, there were people that's maybe been a big part of your journey because let's face it, I know that they've done a lot for content creators. So, yeah, if you've been a long time Libsyn user, do you jump ship when a couple of maybe your favorite people leave the platform? Well. When it comes to Libsyn, you know, more than a couple people have gone and the couple people that have gone are like big deals. They're big deals in the podcasting industry. So I have feelings that Lipson either might be saying bye bye or someone's going to come up and gobble them up or something. It feels like there is a major shift happening at Lipson and I'm I even talked to my client about getting off of Lipson. Interesting, Ralph, what do you got? Yeah, I want to say I left that sinking ship a year or so ago. And that's not, I'm not trying to pick on Libsyn, but they just don't have a dynamic, a plan for how to get ahead and captivate really does.

21:24 I mean, it's been a huge momentum shift for maestros. And so I, I think, I think captive, I think Mark Axwith is doing a super great, great deal bringing these two on board. I think it's really going to be a dynamic thing. And it's funny because I listen to his in and around pocketing it kind of died months ago. So it's kind of cool that they're going to bring that back because I really found it to be a very valuable thing. I know him and Danny Brown, who's sort of the the support guy over there who is fantastic and has an awesome accent, but they're just a great company. They're dynamic. They're always trying new stuff. So I think it's a great move on their part. Agreed. Yes, I do too. I think anybody would benefit having those two as a part of their company for sure. And I think this is a this is great for podcasting. It's certainly great for Rob and Elsie. I have to reach out to her.

22:11 We were talking about getting together for a cup of coffee since she is in my neck of the woods. So now that I think she's a little more settled, has some stability, maybe she's ready to go do that. She had reached out to me a couple weeks ago. I, I forget when exactly, but I think there was a holiday or something in the way and she was saying maybe after the holiday we'll, we'll get together. So I have to follow up with her. She's a great, great person and like I said earlier, great for this industry. We wish them all the best, all the success with Captivate all right so with that I will keep things moving with the next story. Let me pull this up here actually Dr. You know what?

22:53 I'm going to give this next story to you while I get my act together here. Go for. It OK The 69th Annual New York Emmy Awards open for entries and this includes video podcasts, so here's the short blurb here. The 69th Annual New York Emmy Awards are now accepting entries through March 2nd, 2026, and this year includes expanded categories that reflect evolving media trends, notably allowing video podcast to compete in the talk program category. Creators of television, digital media, sports coverage, short form content, and regional storytelling are encouraged to submit work made in 2025 for potential regional recognition.

23:42 In October, the calls for entry is officially opened with a deadline of March 2nd at 6:00 PM. Now just to give you an idea of how much that ME can cost you, the submission fees. So you pay a submit, you pay to submit work to the Television Academy and depending on if you are a member or a non member, the submission fee can range anywhere from $100 to $400.00 per entry. Multiple categories mean multiple fees. One project can easily hit 4 figures just to be seen basically. And where does that money go to?

24:27 Well, for all of the for Your Consideration ads that you see all the time, the targeted emails to voters, screening events and panels, publicists who know who to nudge and when to nudge them, and also the swag that pretends, you know, not to be real swag. But that's where all that money goes to. It's cool that they share where all the money goes to, right? You know, because we've talked a lot about the fact that it feels like all these award award organizations charge a lot of money. And it's nice to hear a breakdown of where some of that money is going to. Still a lot of money for sure.

25:09 And to be clear, again, this is regional Emmy. So this isn't on the the national stage. This is specific, I guess, to New York. OK. And let's see. I know I saw it looked like somebody wanted to come up on stage, but I guess they changed their mind. Let's go to BC with some podcast entertainment news. Go for it BC. Yes, good morning. So first big story this morning is SAG AFTRA. The actors union assigned an agreement with the Netflix officially categorizing the Pete Davidson show as a podcast, which people might think, well, duh, that's been the whole, you know, plan. That's how it was pitched, right? But there's actually been some confusion from SAG Aftra's perspective on how to actually categorize the show because the show is largely produced as a talk show. But again, the proposal has always been to treat the show like a podcast.

26:07 So they've officially come to an agreement. They have officially categorized the show as a podcast. The big things to take away here is that the categorization now is causing the kind of definition of podcasts and talk shows to blur even more because of this categorization. So the reason this is a a pretty big deal for the agreement by itself is that podcast agreements through SAG, AFTRA are pretty more sorry are typically a bit more or less rigorous sorry than your typical TV deal. For instance, compared to television contracts, podcast deals rarely require residual payments to viewership or reruns. Safety work hours and travel rules are a lot less strict than TV contracts as well.

26:55 But there are also some benefit contributions that can also be a compromise by this. And additionally, the real defining bit here of why this particular definition and agreement matters is that video podcasts stop being seen as traditional podcasts and start resembling talk shows more often. And this is because this will set the stage essentially for us to in the future see video podcasts with TV level budgets. So platforms and like Netflix, which may increasingly label high production talk formats as podcasts can take advantage of lighter union requirements and more flexible contract terms. Additionally, in podcasting, the fact that SAG AFTRA even weighed in and negotiated an agreement shows that labor unions are treating podcast productions very seriously. And that's especially as celebrities come into the world of podcasting and all and or if that celebrity is tied to large corporations.

27:56 So we'll see unions push clear protections around compensation structures, work conditions, benefits and residuals. And at this point, again, that line between what defines a video podcast versus a talk show will blur even more. So we all know traditionally podcasts where audio productions that were distributed by an RSS feed, we moved into video podcasting. But the Pete Davidson Show, which is exclusively through Netflix by their video exclusivity rights plus their partners Spotify and iHeartMedia challenges that in original foundation completely. So from here, we might see streaming platforms launch more exclusive podcast style, content creators opting for video and live stream approaches over audio only and industry standards evolving on what is considered a podcast versus a show. I would kind of like to know what the crew here has regarding those that kind of pitch there.

28:56 Well, it looks like Dr. has something. Go ahead, Dr. Podcasting has basically been the Wild West. No unions, no gatekeepers, just a mic and you. And now TV networks and streamers are scooping up podcasts like they just discovered oxygen. Basically the second a podcast becomes a televised content and listeners you can't see me but I'm doing little quote signs with my fingers. Some some can see you if they're watching the video. OK, that's right. That's right. You are no longer a podcaster. Once you cross that line, you are talent on a filmed production, and that's where SAG and AFTRA and the FCC enters the chat. Up until now, podcasting has been the kind of the last, well, let's just say audio first podcasting, or as I like to call it, podcasting AF.

29:54 I stole that from David Hooper. I can't, I can't. I can't take credit for. Kudos to Dave Hooper. That's funny. Podcasting audio first, it has been the last bastion of free speech. But now FCC is entering the ring, the little boxing ring, and that goes out the window. And here's what changes when the line gets crossed #1 If you are performing on camera for a union signatory production union, union rules apply #2 You'll have monthly dues, minimum rates, residuals and working conditions become contractual #3 Reuse of clips, trailers, international distribution can trigger additional payments.

30:44 And #4 producers may have to file paperwork and operate under union agreements. For creators. That cuts both ways. You know, there are for FCC, there's standards and practices that you will need to be cognizant of. Here's my question. So, in light of the Pete Davidson story, would union involvement legitimize podcasting as premium entertainment or kind of choke the indie model that built the industry? Interesting BC what say you? I know you also want to chime in, and so does Ralph and Alex. And so the DRS question, I don't know how to answer that quite yet. I kind of feel like I might be a reformer in the sense of making it premium content.

31:28 But I was going to say for the audience to provide some to provide some examples on FCC and how they get involved. I think it's, there's a clip been going around for a little while from SNLA particular skit where the audience was prompted to respond to the skit and the audience dropped the S bomb. S bomb, not really a common phrase, but SHIT, they dropped that on air on SNL and you see the the lead of the skid say, oh, we're about to get fined for that. So things like that, controlling certain verbiages and FCC regulation, they can really get on even large scale networks for allowing certain verbiage to slip during broadcasting.

32:09 Whereas to DRS Point and podcasting, those regulations don't exist. We can talk however we want to, you know, based on our format and the audience of our choosing. But with this new deal with SAG after getting involved and the FCC stepping into our boundaries, that may no longer be a thing in the long term. But yeah, DRS question is, it's got me perplexed. I don't know how to approach that one. Yeah. Would you willingly join a union for the protections and the residuals, or would the dues and restrictions feel like, you know, handcuffs? Basically BC is shaking his head no. Ralph just gave the thumbs down. Ralph, what say you? Mark this date February 18th, 2026.

32:51 If unions infiltrate the podcasting world, podcasting world will die. I truly believe that because this is not good for our industry. This is not good for independent creators. It's great for the big creating shops, it's big for the major players, but it is not going to work for the small players because you're not going to be able to handle the costs associated with production on a union scale. I deal with this all the time with not, not, not so much content creators, but just union scale with some of my, you know, contractor clients and things like that. It completely eliminates the small person. It completely eliminates the competition level.

33:32 So as much as I understand and it brings prestige, it brings professionalism. Be careful what you ask for because I truly believe, and here's another thing to think about with the FCC, it's also going to going to make you do equal time with stuff. So don't forget about that because you may be a conservative, you may be not a conservative. All of a sudden now you're going to be bound by equal time and somebody, some government bureaucratic knucklehead is going to have a stopwatch and saying, well, you talked about this topic for so long. Now you got to talk about the other side. I can just imagine, like with my Christian podcast, do I have to have a Satanist on there once a week? Because now, and I'm not trying to be hyperbolic, but think about that, you know, is somebody going to complain about, hey, you are not sharing a fair aspect of the people who are not faith-based. So again, mark the date February 18th, 2026. This is not good news.

34:27 It kind of feels that if they step into the ring, and they will for the television, that audio can't be far behind. There's going to be someone to say, well, podcasting is podcasting, we got it. We got to get our thumb into that audio first. Podcasting, and that is scary. Agreed. And I'm going to go to Alex and then stay tuned because after Alex, I'm going to switch gears and I've got a story I want to share with everybody and get their take. It's about somebody at NPR who's suing Google and specifically over notebook LM. I'll share that. It's it, it really surprised me and I think it may surprise you as well.

35:12 But first let's go to Alex. Alex, your thoughts on FCC, unions, etcetera considering joining the podcasting world. It's a total money grab and Ralph said it really well. SAG has done such an awful job of supporting the actors. Now they want to do this. It's embarrassing, but it's not surprising because they want to get into the podcast game. Everybody was all talking about, you know, with the Golden Globes or whatever. This is just a national progression, and it's just sad because it's a total muddy grab. I know too many stag members that are behind and in front of the camera that don't get the representation that they need.

35:57 But they got to be a SAG member or they have to be part of the union. If it's going to happen, it's when it's going to happen. It's going to actually how it's going to play out. What do you expect? If you want to play with the big boys, you got to be a SAG member. If you want this stuff on TV, you got to be a SAG member. I don't know how to get around it. And to what Ralph was saying, there's going to be more eyes. There's still going to be tears to it, because there just always is. But I'll let you get the next story. Yeah, no, thank you, Alex. I appreciate that. And my thought is, and I don't know, I, I don't know enough about these things to say whether this holds any weight or not. But my guess is, is that they'll get into this game as they've already started to with Pete Davidson. But I have a feeling it's only going to be when it's focused on the big platforms, when it's when it's, you know, part of a Netflix, when it's part of a national network. I think if those, if podcasts are trying to break into those areas, I think that's where SAG, the FCC, etcetera are going to get involved.

37:00 But my guess is they're not going to really. It's not going to apply to indie. Podcasts. No. But the problem, this is where. This is where Ralph's point is so important. The rules are the rules. If somebody wants to go after somebody, they can use the rules for them or against them. And that's the problem. When you when you suck something stag, you are abiding by their rules. And podcasters like Dr. has just said, it's been the wild, Wild West. I'm not saying it's good that it's the wild, Wild West, but it, it is and it, it's kind of, it's going to be interesting where the where the line is going to be.

37:42 Where, where, where is going to be that one independent podcaster that's going to do something that's going to cause the humanities controversy because they're a SAG member. This is not going to be answered today. It's going to be answered 10 years or five years from now. But there's going to be an incident and we're going to be talking about it on this morning chat where it's going to be a huge issue and we're going to go back to is it right to be a SAG member, why isn't SAG supporting the podcaster and whatever else. Thank you. Alex and thank you BC for that story. Who knew it was going to cause so much discussion there. I never, I can never get these right as far as guessing goes. All right, so here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to share this story with you that I just teased. And then we're going to talk a little bit about what I think a lot of people are talking about.

38:34 Apple Podcasts moving into video. OK. But first, veteran public radio host David Greene is suing Google, claiming Listen Up Sid, claiming the male voice used in the company's AI tool Notebook LM sounds strikingly similar to his own and that Google used it without his permission, potentially harming his his reputation and rights as a broadcaster. Google denies the claim, saying the voice was performed by a hired actor. The case raises significant questions about AI voice likeness and legal protections for unique human voices. What I've done is I found something that's I think this is from a YouTube channel, MO News if I'm not mistaken. And this is a side by side.

39:30 OK, So I believe if I'm remembering the clip correctly, the first clip is the actual voice is the real guy David Greene, and the second is Google notebook LM and they're saying the same things. So you decide. And then I have one other clip of the of the radio host by itself, just to give you a little more context. But first, here's the side by side. You're going to hear one right after the other. And looking broadly at this, is this an arc that has been developing in Washington or something? Is there something about the Trump era that that has made this a distinctly different feel when it comes to Capitol Hill? So looking bigger picture, is this just, you know, the latest step in a long polarization trend?

40:12 Or is there something really different about the Trump era, something that makes Capitol Hill feel distinct right now? I know we don't normally do anything political, or at least we avoid that. But those were the examples. And I'll play one more for you. This is David Greene himself. A window into some of the dynamics that I think might be taking shape this year. We already have some questions to ask about both parties because things are already seeming messy for both Democrats and Republicans. So I don't know about you, but to me they sound, they do sound strikingly similar. I really hear it sounds pretty much like the same voice. Now I called out Sid because Sid did a season 7, I believe recap 6, season 6 recap of his show, the Insight Report and he used Google notebook LM to provide that recap. So Sid, you probably have heard that voice a lot as of late. So what are your thoughts?

41:10 Do you think that it sounds like David Greene? First off, yeah, I did a season 6 recap of my show, The Trend. Report, sorry, inside reporting to somebody else I know and I knew as I said it, I said it wrong. It's all good, man. But wow, those were really, really close. It's really hard to tell the difference between the two when you first started talking about this. I'm like, Oh yeah, whatever. This is somebody trying to get a money grab from Google. But now that I hear the comparison like I'd if I were on the jury, I'd vote for him. Yeah, I think it's pretty bold of Google to claim that this was performed by a hired actor. Let's just hear it one more time. And looking broadly at this, is this an arc that has been developing in Washington or something?

41:52 Is there something about the Trump era that that has made this a distinctly different feel when it comes to Capitol Hill? So looking bigger picture, is this just, you know, the latest step in a long polarization trend? Or is there something really different about the Trump era, something that makes Capitol Hill feel distinct right now? Hey, Mark. Yes, Alex. Part is it sounds like the second one, the AI one. It just seems like the the the first gentleman, I mean the actual person, he needs to talk closer to the mic. I mean, I think they're not they sound exactly the same. I mean, but oh God, that's scary. Yeah, the AI has better mic technique, I agree. But yeah, it's also probably just the different levels of the recordings and such. But yeah, it's it's pretty, pretty scary. And yes, it was.

42:40 By the way, the Side By Side was a YouTube short provided by At MO News MONEWS. What will be interesting here is if this goes all the way and he has, he wins. Is there any recourse on those of us that have used the podcast feature on Google LM? Like does it come? Does it trickle back down to us? Or is this just strictly a Google thing? Yeah, this is that. That's what I was wondering too. I mean, it could be very possible that if David Greene wins this suit that we're all told we got to take our stuff down.

43:20 I don't know how they can enforce that. I think there's so much stuff out there right now from Google Notebook LM so who knows. Mark, are these type of unions going to fight for this stuff? That's the question. They are fighting for it. That's why I popped up here. As you know, there is a place for the unions, but it I don't believe that. I think as podcasters, as independent podcasters, we really need to keep an eye on this story around the FCC because I love that podcasting is the Wild West. That is where our power comes from as independent podcast producers.

44:01 And speaking as somebody who has been in the entertainment field before, unions have their place in protecting actors from huge, you know, producers who are going to take advantage of them, who are going to use their voice over and over and over again or their likeness. In the old days, there used to be terrible working conditions for actors and actors and performers would die destitute because they didn't have any protection from unions. So there is a place for that, but not an independent podcasting.

44:42 And this is a perfect example of of somebody's like this being taken. In my opinion, I can't hear the difference between the two other than a little bit of a sound tweak on you know, but wow. Great points, Yvonne. Thank you for that. Let's see here. All right, we're going to keep it moving. Let's get to what probably at least appears to be the last story. We have others, so if there's time will share. But I do want to make sure this is a news show after all. And I think it's important to dive into the latest with Apple podcast because they've gone all in on video. And before anyone says it, few long time podcasters. Yes, I know Apple has always offered video. I know I see those comments all the time. And yes, that may be true, but nobody knows about it or at least nobody really knew about it. Not the masses.

45:41 The creators either didn't know about it, didn't care about it or didn't understand how to use it. So OK, maybe that was there, that ability was there, but this is officially happening. Apple Podcast is expanding into native video, giving creators the ability to publish and distribute video episodes directly on their platform. The move signals Apple's deeper push into multimedia podcasting, opening new creative and monetization opportunities for podcasters who want to go beyond audio. So the update positions Apple more competitively alongside platforms like YouTube and Spotify that have already leaned into video podcasting. Creators can publish both audio only and video versions of their show, giving flexibility based on audience preference. Video podcasts remain playable in the background, maintaining the passive listening experience many users value. This expression expansion Pardon Me could create new advertising and sponsorship opportunities as video inventory becomes available.

46:50 The shift also reflects broader industry trends where podcasting is becoming more visual and personality driven. And for creators, production expectations certainly may rise, potentially increasing costs for lighting, camera editing and set design. But also, let's be real, I think a lot of newer podcasters are coming in these days assuming video, not just audio. So this changes. This change reinforces Apple's intent to keep podcast consumption within its ecosystem rather than losing creators and audiences to video first platforms. And also, just so you know, this isn't going to be widely available out of the gate. You do still need to work through a podcast hosting platform.

47:39 We mentioned a couple examples earlier, Lipson and Captivate being examples, but not part of this just yet. The ones that it is available with, it's a Cast Art 19, which is an Amazon platform, Omni Studio, which is part of Triton Digital and Sirius XMS platforms including SiriusXM Media Ads Wiz and Simple Cast. Yes, Ralph, what did you want to say? So I think we need to look under the hood here and see what this is really about. This is about Apple making more money because now with this dynamic ad insertion, they are going to charge a per insertion ad fee for this. And the players that are already in there are all marketing advertising platforms.

48:25 So what this really means is that you are going to get more 6 minutes of advertisements in your video podcast now, which is something that I understand it doesn't work well on YouTube. I don't do any of that. So I, I can't speak to that. But but think about follow the money here. That's what we're really talking about. Because as soon as I got James Cridland did a great job of getting into the details of this. And when you really, when you really look at the details of this, it's all about that fee that Apple's going to charge for a per insertion dynamic ad in the video. So, Mark, I just think we've got to follow the money here. I, I don't yes, part of it, it's staying on platform, but Apple's a very wise company. They know how to make money and this is a way to make money. They realize that money is going to YouTube, money is going to other platforms, and if they can make more money on their platform, they're going to do it. So I think it's about time they did it. But let's all realize what the purpose is here. Thank you, Ralph.

49:21 That's a fairpoint. Alex, what did you want to say? I'm just curious why now, like you said, Ralph, but why now? And why haven't they pushed this sooner? Yeah, Janae in the chat says why not now? And I mean, why now? I think for one, they're probably saying enough is enough. They're seeing Spotify and YouTube taking hold of this industry and it's an industry that really Apple had the hold on for a long time. And so I think they're seeing that slipping away. Like Ralph said, it's a money grab. It's a money opportunity. And let's be real, I think it might have been Dave Jackson Speaking of, I think he was saying that if it wasn't him, it was somebody else that said, you know, Apple is very smart, right? And they and they also sometimes take their time to come out with new things and new features.

50:15 And when they do, they tend to do it really well, right? So in that sense, I respect that, right? Like they, they took their time, they waited, they figured out what was going to work best for their business model. And now they're promoting it. And eventually here soon, we're going to be able to start seeing more video on the platform. Ralph, what did you want to add? The other thing I want to say that could be is I've saw some specs for a new home pod that Apple's going to release. It has a screen with it and it could very well be that they're setting the table for, hey, we're going to put a home pod in your house. And the coolest thing is it's going to have a screen. Why does it have a screen? Because now you can watch it and you can hear brilliant audio underneath of it.

50:58 So it could be a strategic move through something that gets released into fall. I have no inside information. I'm not a insider with Apple, but I just I've seen that spec out there and I'm just thinking about they're also talking about a flip phone, which is going to give you more physical real estate on your phone. So it could very well be that they're just setting, setting the table for everybody's on video now and we're going to have devices which are going to make that better. That certainly stays true to Apple and how they do things. So yeah, I appreciate that take. Ralph Junaid says he doesn't think Apple cares about losing control of the podcast space. He said they do things strategically. They waited four years before they launched an MP3 device, even though they were the ones that really made MP3 devices a thing.

51:43 So yeah, that's something to think about, too, Jonathan says. Folding iPhone. Yeah, folding iPhone and Homepod in the fall. I'm very intrigued by those folding phones. I know that Android has one. I've seen one and they're pretty cool looking. The reason why it's becoming so big is because people are trying to break their habit of social media and scrolling, and that's why I will never get one of those. Flips well here's the thing Dr. So fair fair of you to assume the old fashioned flip phone, but this is more about this is a new version of a flip phone. It's a full screen B CS got 1 something like it's a full screen when you flip it both sides of the flip have a screen and it and they and it all kind of runs together. They're not 2 separate screens.

52:32 It's one big screen when you unflip it. Is that right BC? So actually I got a clarifying question is, is this a flip we're talking about or a fold? A fold. It's the right terminology. Where it's still pretty linear. A fold is more like a perfect square when it's opened up. OK, but that still does exactly what we're talking about, right? Like that flips open and then you get a full screen from the top side and the bottom side. Yeah. Yeah. So that's what Apple is talking about. Samsung. By the way. Samsung, OK, gotcha. Samsung, OK, cool. Well all right gang, listen, I think we are good for news today. We have more stories and quite possibly could I guess cover some more tomorrow.

53:12 Ralph is taking the reins Thursday and Friday because if you were listening yesterday I shared this 52 year old guy has got to get his wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, 9:00 AM. Not looking forward to it to be honest with you, but. Be a good little soldier, a good little soldier. Get that lollipop at the end. And you get all the all the. Sherburn and ice cream you want. Yeah, they ain't giving me lollipops after teeth removal like that. But yes, you know, it's really obviously the surgery itself I'm not really uncomfortable about. It's just more the recovery. I'm hoping for a very quick and painless one. We shall see, but Ralph will take over tomorrow. Ralph, we're doing mail back tomorrow, right? Yes, I've got some very cool questions. For the next two days, I'm going to plant a little seed here. If someone gave you $5000, where would you spend that in your content creation model?

54:08 So that's one of things we're going to talk about either tomorrow or Friday. So I've got some real juicy questions. I've scoured the network and I've found some really good ones, but that's when I thought that is perfect. If you've got that money, what would you do with it? I like. That put it all on black baby. Yes. Oh, I forgot you. When you get your wisdom teeth pulled, you get all the Tylenol that you can take because that's all you usually can can have. Because I had my wisdom teeth come through when I was at Disney, the happiest place on earth. It was a lot of fun. Like I said, not looking forward to it, but thank you. OK wait who said what? I I forget I wanted to respond to something but now I've lost my place so. $5000.

54:49 Yes, here's what I was going to say. I also have handed the official PMC mailbag over to Ralph as well so he can dig through that mailbag with everyone and answer all of your podcasting questions. So we're back tomorrow, not yours truly, but I will try to pop in on Friday as well just to check in and let everyone know how I'm feeling and hearing my mouths filled with gauze, etcetera. So join us tomorrow, 7:00 AM Eastern. Live on all the streaming platforms are just about anyway. And of course, live on Clubhouse, 7:00 AM Eastern. Get all that info@podcastingmorningchat.com until tomorrow.

55:30 Make it a great day everybody, take care.