As podcasting evolves into a vital medium for business news, information, analysis and idea exchange, Variety launches a Monday-Thursday audio news series that brings back the brand’s “Daily Variety” imprint.
Hosted by Variety Co-Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Littleton, Daily Variety provides a quick morning update on major business news headlines, as well as extended conversations with Variety journalists and industry leaders about news and trends in the global content industry. Episodes of “Daily Variety” are 20 minutes or less and released by 10 a.m. Pacific Time most days.
“Daily Variety is designed to bring entertainment industry insiders a curated selection of news that focuses on news that matters to those working in television, film, music, gaming, podcasting, AI, digital media, and other content-adjacent fields,” said Littleton. “We’re thrilled to host this important showcase, showcasing the important work of Variety’s journalists around the world. It’s also the central hub for all things Variety, showcasing our editorial franchises, summits, conferences, galas, and a series of other live media events that we produce each year.”
For 80 years, from 1933 to 2013, the Hollywood-based Daily Variety was a Monday-through-Friday print newspaper and a must-read for the entertainment industry, from CEOs to ambitious mailroom moguls. In the early days of communications, the arrival of Daily Variety’s daily edition was the critical pulse of Hollywood’s important daily news developments, spanning major networks, studios, music labels, creative artisans, talent agencies, creative guilds, law firms, and more. The Daily Variety reflected the style of the Ratatatat newspapers of the era in which it was born. Although often irreverent with famous and provocative headlines, they were also authoritative about major industry movements and representative of what was happening in Hollywood of the day.
Over the past decade, podcasting has emerged as an essential forum for corporate and fan communication. Variety is expanding its footprint in audio with weekly podcasts such as “Awards Circuit,” “Strictly Business,” “Just for Variety” and “Stagecraft,” as well as an in-depth documentary series, “Variety Confidential.” The latest season of Variety Confidential, hosted by Variety Editor-in-Chief Tatiana Siegel, is a four-part look at “The Life and Legacy of River Phoenix,” which ranked among the top 10 iHeart Media podcasts of the summer.
When considering options for Variety’s daily news podcast series, there was only one brand name option.
“I’m proud to have been the masthead for the last 20 years of Daily Variety’s paper, and I’m excited to bring that spirit back to this dynamic new medium,” said Littleton. “The Daily Variety episode is, first and foremost, a platform for some of the most talented and hardest-working journalists on the planet. Podcasting is an engaging way to give listeners a behind-the-scenes look and hear directly from journalists on the ground.”
“Daily Variety” episodes are available via iHeartMedia, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and other major audio platforms.
Cynthia Littleton
Dan Dopersky / Variety
