WBUR: CitySpace Productions expands into podcasting
WBUR — November 29, 2021
This fall, CitySpace Productions, a custom content studio within WBUR, is expanding its creative services to include podcasting. Guided by WBUR’s audio and audience forte, the studio will deliver sophisticated listening experiences on behalf of brands seeking to expand their impact and reach.
“The audio landscape is booming, and we’ve got expert knowledge that we can share, helping our partners connect with audiences through innovative approaches like custom-content podcasts,” says Pete Matthews, WBUR Executive Director, Business Partnerships. “We understand that it’s a multi-channel approach that really makes a difference for brands to be able to tell their stories. Showing up on-air and online, on demand or at a live event, all adds up.”
The team’s approach is to provide audio production and distribution services, while a partner delivers talent and content. These ventures are independent of WBUR's journalism and reside outside of editorial departments.
The first podcast partner is the Shah Family Foundation, a Boston-based non-profit committed to ensuring everyone has access to the fundamentals of well-being. The foundation is a longtime supporter of WBUR’s education reporting.
The Shah Family Foundation has two podcasts, Catalysts for Change and Last Night @ School Committee, both of which WBUR’s new CitySpace Productions will begin producing this month.
"Our podcasts make public the work we do as a foundation. Catalysts for Change highlights the work and research of game-changers in education, healthcare and community, and Last Night at School Committee is a hyper-local conversation that helps families and education advocates in Boston stay on top of what is happening in meetings that are making strategic decisions impacting the future of our youth,” said Jill Shah, President of the Shah Family Foundation. "We are excited to partner with WBUR’s experienced production team to expand the reach and impact of these podcasts.”
Leading this new partner podcast effort for WBUR is Jay Feinstein, most recently a producer and business development lead at Living On Earth, the weekly environmental news magazine distributed by PRX.
This project marks WBUR’s first foray into producing and distributing audio outside of its own portfolio, which includes podcasts such as On Point and Endless Thread. As the Business Partnerships team seeks to provide this service for a growing list of local and national organizations, CitySpace Productions is actively seeking additional clients that will benefit from its expertise.