In the words of the late Nikki Finke, “Torja!”
After Page Six’s exclusive exposé, media members were furious about the Golden Globes’ new Best Podcast category, calling it Penske Media’s “racquet” rather than innovation.
Ankler, pack, and status are paying attention.
The same goes for the industry as a whole.
In addition to the Golden Globes, Penske also owns Hollywood industries such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline (formerly founded by flamethrower Finke).
We exclusively reported that when Globes recently announced a new podcasting category, it announced that the top 25 eligible shows would be selected by external data firm Luminate. Upon closer inspection, insiders were surprised to learn that the company also happened to be owned by Penske.
And now that Penske-owned Luminate has announced its list of Penske-owned awards, the Penske-owned industry is reaching out to podcasts and recruiting them to launch high-value prizes.
Campaigns can reach six figures.
A source previously told Page Six: “The Penske thing is out of control,” adding, “They say an outside company will (measure) the statistics to determine the top 25 podcasts,” and “It’s Luminate!” Penske! ”
(News outlets other than Penske, including Ankler, Pac, and the LA Times, are also vying for FYC funding.)
Potential podcast nominees will reportedly have to pay $500 to the Globes for consideration by October 31st. Penske has owned the Golden Globes since 2023, when it acquired the show from the quirky Hollywood Foreign Press Association through Dick Clark Productions.
Podcasts will now be encouraged to run big-ticket campaigns to vie for nominations, much like film and TV projects typically do, according to a Variety pitch posted by Anclar.
For $5,000, nominees will be able to upload their projects to the Golden Globes judging platform, The Anclarer reported.
Status reports that potential podcast nominees have been approached by Variety to pay $25,000 to become supporting partners for Podcasting FYC Fest (Golden Globe nominees can appear on Variety’s panel, as well as Variety coverage, social posts, and a full-page color ad in FYC Fest Preview, which will be released Nov. 11).
For $35,000, podcast candidates will reportedly receive a “15-minute custom conversation with a variety host.”
Or you could reportedly win the $75,000 Variety Creative Impact Award in Podcasting for your podcast, which will earn you a variety show feature and honors at FYC Fest.
Sources told Page Six that packages are also being offered to podcasts that aren’t in the top 25. “Adding this (podcasting) category is just a money grab,” one podcaster gasped to Page Six.
Either way, some podcasts just don’t seem to work.
The Anclar newspaper reported that the podcast in question, “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von,” was not submitted for review, and that a representative for Von said, “Theo is honored to be mentioned at the Golden Globes, but he has no desire to be involved in or comment on the Golden Globes.”
However, when we reached out to them, a Penske Media representative countered that Fung was not participating and said the people who commented to Ankler do not represent the podcast host. The same representative also told Page Six: “The podcast and entertainment industries remain extremely excited about the inaugural Golden Globe Podcast Awards, with nearly all nominees applying to be recognized for their outstanding achievements.”
The category also raises other issues, as many of the top 25 shows considered are hosted by right-wing hosts who despise Hollywood, from Tucker Carlson to Margin Kelly to Candice.
Owens.
I heard that Owens is unsure about participating.
The Ankler’s “Like & Subscribe” newsletter reports that sources say “The Ben Shapiro Show” is rumored to be planning a campaign. (There were no comments on the podcast.)
Several popular shows were snubbed, including Travis and Jason Kelsey’s New Heights, which would have earned Taylor Swift another Golden Globe nomination this year.
Once again, the podcasting category could bring new elements and revenue to the Golden Globes, a for-profit right-wing media organization.
“There’s no way Golden Globe voters would support a conservative podcast,” a source told Us. “When the list[of nominees]comes out, keep an eye out for Amy Poehler, Dax Shepard and other Hollywood nominees.” But “if you want to go out and respect podcasts, you can’t ignore that it’s what America wants and likes.”
The Ankler reported that days before Luminate’s Top 25 list was released, the Globe “circulated a draft that was missing popular podcasts such as Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy, SmartLess by the trio of Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, Armchair Expert with Dax Shephard, and Good Hang With Amy Poehler.”
However, Luminate adjusted its list to include popular shows after “key podcast stakeholders pointed out the omissions,” the report said.
The entertainment newsletter also stated that the final list was “announced several days later on October 2 at the odd time of 7:30pm Pacific Time.” (Or behind the scenes, when the list “mysteriously” appeared later that day, Page Six reached out for comment.)
The Pack’s Matt Belloni called the whole thing a “terrible scandal” and “terrible” on his podcast, The Town.
A Penske representative had no comment on the variety advertising package.
Luminate’s top 25 eligibility list is determined by data from platforms such as Apple, Spotify and YouTube, and we’re told the company is part of a joint venture between PMC and Eldridge and not part of Penske’s editorial operations.
It also provides data to Billboard, another Penske medium.
