Todd and Rob talk about our favorite topic, RSS, in podcasting and go over the latest Podcast News, and somehow, the show ends up being one of the most snarky episodes we have created in some time. Sorry, some of these latest news reports are beyond obvious, and I hope no one is paying good money to learn some of the things we talk about today. We kick off joking about Rob hosting solo last week and Todd returning from a break. The conversation then turns to key takeaways from the recent Podcast Movement conference, including Blubrry picking up substantial new network business leads. Transitioning to podcasting news, they critique a recent Nielsen report on podcast listening growth. The discussion moves to advertising trends, with Todd sharing that multiple companies privately confessed business was flat over the last quarter, contrasting the publicly optimistic outlook. Additional topics include platforms like Spotify overpaying for episodes, competing for exclusivity, and trying to expand into podcasting with minimal growth, diminishing podcast publishing numbers, companies struggling to meet payments owed to podcasters, and more M&A activity shaking up the industry. Throughout the episode, Todd and Rob take an honest, straightforward perspective, business challenges, and changes in the podcasting landscape. They emphasize the importance of maintaining control and the value of open RSS standards. Please take 60 seconds and fill out the listener survey from this link.  Donate to the show and Support this podcast. Get a Sticker: Send us your show sticker, and we will send you a New Media Show Sticker. Get on our sticker board for the show. New Media Productions 365 N Willowbrook Rd Suite: C Coldwater, Mi, 49036