The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has declared a $1 million project to encourage community-based podcasts a success.
Head of Specialist Content at the ABC, Judith Whelan said the initiative, launched in 2017, had strengthened Australia’s audio industry by supporting the creation of compelling and distinctive podcasts.
Ms Whelan said the project had given an opportunity to many Australian podcasters and extended the diversity of content produced by the ABC.
“As the nation’s leading podcast producer, the ABC is committed to collaborating with our best and brightest podcasters and giving them the platform and audience to strengthen our growing audio industry,” Ms Whelan said.
She said the fund was announced at the podcast industry conference OzPod 2017 and had since supported some of the ABC’s most popular podcasts.
“In October 2017, the ABC also opened the fund to anyone with original and entertaining podcast ideas that reflected contemporary Australian life,” Ms Whelan said.
“The public call-out attracted 1,273 submissions from across Australia.”
She said that among those selected for production were:
No Feeling is Final, a moving, engrossing and often darkly funny story about mental health and suicide;
Animal Sound Safari, exploring the weird history humans have with animals;
and Parental Guidance Recommended, uncovering the secret parenting lives of Australians such as Tom Gleeson and Ita Buttrose.
Ms Whelan said that other new podcasts developed via the public call-out would be produced in the coming months.
