Hubbard Radio is turning up the volume on its audio ambitions with the launch of the Gamut Podcast Network, a new podcast division spotlighting original shows created by its local radio stations. The company describes podcasting as the “third foundational pillar” of its business strategy, sitting alongside its traditional radio properties and 2060 Digital, its digital marketing arm.
What is branded the Gamut Podcast Network includes many of the shows that have been created by Hubbard local radio stations. But it says the move is more than a new name. Instead, it says it is a transformational shift in how Hubbard is thinking about podcasts. Rather than being a supplemental business to radio, it will instead make podcast a focused, scalable business in its own right.
“The launch of Gamut is more than a rebrand. It’s a pivotal evolution for our company,” CEO Ginny Hubbard says in the announcement. “By establishing Gamut as a core component of our business, we are embracing the future of media and ensuring Hubbard’s relevance for the next century.”
Digital accounts for 30% of revenue at Hubbard, which owns 54 radio stations in nine markets, as well as the digital marketing agency 2060 Digital and 14 television stations. Last August, it hired John Goforth, a veteran of podcast and radio, to lead the effort as Vice President and General Manager of what is now known the Gamut Podcast Network. During the past several months, Gofoth has been laying the groundwork for the launch by building infrastructure, assembling a team, and formalizing the strategy behind the network.
“Gamut is designed to reflect both where the industry is and where it’s going,” says Goforth in a statement. “It’s about reach and relevance. That balance is what makes Hubbard special, and it will make Gamut special too.”
St. Paul, MN-based Hubbard Radio has long been one of the advocates for podcasting among radio companies, including its investment in PodcastOne in 2015. Its latest moves represent the company’s biggest investment yet. But Hubbard has long taken pride that since the family-run company launched a century ago, that it has adapted and evolved to changes in consumer behaviors as it expanded from radio to television, and then digital.
“Investing in Gamut is a strategic decision that aligns with our long-term vision,” Chief Financial Officer David Bestler says. “We are committed to allocating the resources needed to ensure Gamut’s success, and with the team we’ve built, we’re confident we’re positioned to become a major force in the space.”
Hubbard VP of Digital Strategy Jermey Sinon, who has also taken on the role of VP of Podcast Operations, has been working with Goforth during the past few months transforming what had been a decentralized collection of podcasting initiatives across the company’s local media clusters into a unified network. The goal is to present advertisers with national reach combined with local depth.
“Over the years, we’ve had several successful podcast launches come from our markets — from SKOR North and Garage Logic to the American Nightmare series, UAP: Unidentified Alien Podcast, and beyond,” Sinon says. “We now get to take that momentum and use it to propel us to a full-fledged national network.”
Hubbard says the new Gamut Podcast Network will focus on several high-growth content genres including technology, music history, wellness, explainer content, sports, true crime, and the “world of the weird.” One of Gamut’s first marquee partnerships is a multiyear deal with Adam Reader, better known as the host of the YouTube channel “Professor of Rock.” He will bring his signature storytelling to podcast platforms for the first time.
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