Russ: "We're good." That's the official word from the IAB on podcast measurement.
Nadia: This is Nadia.
Russ: And I'm Russ.
Nadia: And you're listening to Feed Drop for Thursday, September 17th, 2026.
Russ: And we've got three big moves shaking up the industry.
Nadia: The IAB has a message for everyone trying to fix podcast measurement: please, stop.
Russ: We finally know where tech journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton are taking their new show. Let's just say we hope they like tote bags.
Nadia: And a smash-hit anime series is showing podcasting the future of streaming economics.
Nadia: So let's start with the IAB. The Interactive Advertising Bureau put out a statement today that's really turning heads.
Russ: Right, this is the one from the cold open. They basically said the years-long panic over podcast metrics is... over? And we won?
Nadia: [laughs] Not exactly. Quoting Podnews here, they said a 'new framework is not needed for measurement.' They're arguing the tools we already have—the IAB v2.1 guidelines and the Open Measurement SDK—are good enough.
Russ: Wait, hold on. After years of everybody from Spotify to indie creators saying the numbers are a mess and advertisers are confused, the main industry body just says 'Nah, you're all using it wrong'?
Nadia: That's the gist. They're not saying the standards are perfect, but they claim the real problem is adoption. They just want everyone to get certified with what we've already got.
Russ: So who does this help? This feels like a big incumbent just protecting its turf.
Nadia: It helps the big ad buyers. They crave stability and don't want to learn a new system every six months. This tells them the numbers they get from IAB-compliant publishers are the numbers they can trust.
Russ: So what does this mean for a regular podcaster? Am I supposed to care?
Nadia: If you want ad money, you absolutely should. This basically makes IAB certification table stakes, not optional. And it means your production has to be on point right from the start.
Russ: Speaking of production, today's episode of Feed Drop is sponsored by The Podglomerate.
Nadia: That's right. Getting from your first recording to the final export can be daunting. The Podglomerate's free Ultimate Guide to Podcast Production walks you through every single step. Get it at podglomerate.com.
Russ: Alright, next up: the tech world's favorite podcasting duo, Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, have found a new home after leaving The New York Times.
Nadia: And their new show, 'Machine Gods,' is landing somewhere... unexpected. They're going to New York Public Radio.
Russ: WNYC? The public radio station? So they went from Hard Fork at the Times to... pledge drives and tote bags? No offense to public radio, but that feels like a hard left turn.
Nadia: I think it's a huge strategic move! They escape the intense ad pressure of a commercial giant. At WNYC, they can really lean into their deep, investigative journalism side. And you can't deny the prestige.
Russ: Is the show going to be any good though? Will it just be a more... polite version of Hard Fork?
Nadia: I think it gives them more freedom. They'll likely have more ownership of their IP, plus they're tapping into a dedicated audience that already trusts the WNYC brand. It sends a message: top talent doesn't have to go to Spotify or Amazon.
Russ: So for a creator, this means there's another path? The prestige, non-profit route?
Nadia: Exactly. It's a powerful alternative model. And for anyone thinking of launching their own 'Machine Gods'...
Russ: You could probably use some help. This episode is sponsored by The Podglomerate. Their free Ultimate Guide to Podcast Production has real-world examples to get you started.
Nadia: Okay, for our last story, a new report from Variety is connecting the dots between a hit anime and the future of media ownership.
Russ: Anime? Nadia, this is a podcasting show.
Nadia: [laughs] Stay with me here. The show is 'Jujutsu Kaisen.' It's so huge it turned its production house, MAPPA, into the top anime studio in Asia. But the real story is how streamers are reacting.
Russ: Okay...
Nadia: According to Media Partners Asia, streamers like Netflix aren't just licensing shows anymore—they're starting to own the studios that make them. It's the difference between renting a movie and buying the whole studio.
Russ: Ah, okay, I see it now. That's the podcasting playbook from the last five years. It's Spotify buying Gimlet and The Ringer, it's Amazon buying Wondery. Own the production, own the IP, own the audience.
Nadia: Exactly. This is happening all over media. And the numbers are wild—the report finds that in Asia, anime viewing on Netflix grew nine times faster than the platform as a whole. With growth like that, of course you'd buy the studio.
Russ: So what does this mean for podcasters? More acquisitions are coming?
Nadia: It means the big platforms are still hungry for IP they can build a franchise around. If you can create a universe, not just a show, you're a prime acquisition target. But that also dials up the pressure to create something that valuable.
Russ: And for listeners, it means your favorite indie show might just end up exclusively on Spotify or Amazon Prime next year. The walled gardens are getting higher.
Nadia: Alright, let's recap the headlines.
Russ: The IAB says the tools to measure podcasts are fine, thank you very much.
Nadia: Kevin Roose and Casey Newton are taking their talents to public radio, proving there's a path beyond the big tech platforms.
Russ: And the strategy of owning the studios, not just licensing the shows, is taking over all of media—podcasting included.
Nadia: Before we go, Russ, a quick one. Did you see that new AI-generated podcast that's just reading the entire text of Moby Dick, but in the voice of a pirate?
Russ: [dry] I did. I lasted about forty-five seconds. The robot pirate sounds less 'yo-ho-ho' and more like my Roomba hit a snag.
Nadia: [laughs] So not a recommendation, then?
Russ: Definitely not. And that's our show for today. You've been listening to Feed Drop.
Nadia: We'll be back tomorrow. For 'What we're actually listening to,' I've been loving The Journal's recent series on the global chip industry. It's truly great stuff. See you then.
This show is made with AI: the hosts’ voices are synthetic and the scripts are AI-assisted. Every story links to its original source.