BY ALEX WEPRIN | HollywoodReporter.Com
Troy Warren for CNT #Digital
A ‘Good Morning America’ podcast and new programming are part of the renewed audio focus.
ABC News is planning a fresh podcast push, launching new series and adapting Good Morning America for audio.
Beginning today, the first two hours of GMA will be available as podcasts, allowing for more portable consumption of the program, which is anchored by Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan.
In addition, ABC Audio will launch a new entertainment podcast, Close Up, led by journalist Kelley Carter. The podcast will break down entertainment news, and feature interviews with stars, directors and other entertainment industry notables. Close Up will debut Feb. 9, the day after the 2022 Oscar nominations are announced.
Close Up and the GMA podcast will be available on a new “GMA Channel” on Apple podcasts, and on other podcast platforms. In addition, the podcast Life Out Loud With LZ Granderson will launch its second season Thursday, and will also be available on the GMA channel. The podcast sees Granderson exploring timely topics that impact the LGBTQ+ community.
The new podcasts join an existing slate that includes audio versions of ABC World News, The View and 20/20, as well as original podcasts like In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson, The Dropout and Start Here. The company said that 2021 was its best year yet for podcast listenership, though it did not divulge any specific figures.
“ABC Audio has big podcast plans for 2022,” said Liz Alesse, director and EP of ABC Audio’s podcast programming, adding that the GMA podcast complements the other audio adaptations of TV programs. “We are also continuing to expand our originals library with some exciting projects in the pipeline this year. On top of building out our lifestyle and culture content, we’re working on several longform narrative projects. You can expect to see new true crime titles coming soon, and we’re gearing up for some exciting collaborations across ABC.”
