Automated images causes embarrassment in the car.
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playListen · February 18 2026 · 4.5 minutes to read
A new feature from Android podcast app PodcastAddict has been adding x-rated chapter images to podcasts, without creator consent. The Digitalia podcast discussed a successful court appeal by a website against age verification laws in Italy; and called the podcast chapter “(WebsiteName) Wins”, as you can see above. But, PodcastAddict has a feature enabling automatic chapter images, which a listener had turned on: that displayed an x-rated image for that chapter; which, using Android Auto, was also visible in his car for the whole family to see.
RØDE has announced new firmware for Wireless GO (Gen 3) and Wireless PRO microphones, which allow them to pair directly with iPhones via Bluetooth.
The business model behind video on Apple Podcasts is explored by Adam Bowie. Meanwhile, we notice that if we watch an episode with a video, we appear to always get the video’s audio track; we’ve asked for clarification on what plays, when.
In a new article, just published, Good Tape highlights the history of On Air Fest, which takes place again next week in Brooklyn NY, USA.
In the UK, RAJAR published its MIDAS winter study. It claims 26% of Brits listen to podcasts every week, which is a record high. Podcasts account for 7% of all audio listening (but 11% of 15-24s). Total listening to podcasts per week in the country is 111mn hours (the US is 773mn).
Which podcaster interrupts their guest the most? Podranker has taken 20 big interview podcasts and ranked them to work out which hosts jump in without letting their guest finish their point.
Audible is to add a further fifteen “voice legends” to its Narrator Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place in early April in New York City.
Audion, a digital audio advertising company, has launched an AI agent to help the company structure, coordinate and scale media recommendations consistently across all its markets. The tool analyses audio and video platforms to work out which will work the best for each individual client.
Some influencers are producing sponsored content without actually having an agreement with the brand they claim are sponsoring. The practice, called “specfluencing” by some, is aimed to make their channels appear more impressive than they really are - “faking it till they make it”, in other words. (This story is sponsored by Valhalla, Aston Martin’s brilliant-looking new EV.)
Signings: Libsyn has signed Life Wide Open with CboysTV for hosting and monetisation. Meanwhile, The Best One Yet has signed with Acast, and has appointed Mike Muney as GM.

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With Airwave: Unpacked by Afar tackles one tricky topic in travel each week. This time round: Why Spain’s Star Chefs Are Setting Up Michelin-Starred Restaurants in Tiny Towns.

What to make of the Apple Podcasts video announcement? With Rob Greenlee, the New Media Show has our Editor, James Cridland, to unpack exactly what was announced, and what it means for us all. It’s being recorded live-streamed on social media at 6pm ET today, if you’ve questions you need answered.

February is Black History Month: Imagine Audio: The A Building is new from iHeart - a powerful new documentary podcast that revisits one of the most extraordinary and rarely told moments in American civil rights and higher-education history: the 1969 student uprising at Morehouse College, where a group of students barricaded themselves inside the administration building. One of the hostages was Martin Luther King, Sr. One of these students was Samuel L. Jackson.

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February is Black History Month: Raven follows the story of an unforgettable man with an unforgettable name: Raven Chanticleer. For thirty years, Raven dreamed of opening his own wax museum devoted to Black history in Harlem. In 1989, he finally did. The African American Wax Museum, as it was called, garnered widespread attention in New York and abroad. When Raven died in 2002, his family gutted the museum and sold the property, destroying his life’s work and outraging the community. But did the wax figures all get melted down?

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With the 2026 World Cup arriving on home soil this summer, An American Game returns today with a new season designed to help American fans understand, and celebrate, the country’s surprisingly deep soccer roots. Long before David Beckham was a superstar, before Italy had a professional league – even before the first ball arrived in Brazil – immigrant communities, factory towns, and scrappy club teams were building a soccer culture across the US.

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Tell Me What It’s Like returns for Season 2 with new weekly interviews about defining moments and life-changing experiences. The season opens with journalist Carol Lin, the first to report the September 11 attacks, and Kristen Mardis, who shares her story about navigating an unexpected pregnancy without a financial safety net. Hosted by Stacy Raine.
| # | Наименование новости | Тональность | Информативность | Дата публикации |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catch up when you fill up: the podcast at the pumps | 0 | 9.3 | 16-02-2026 |
| 2 | No, podcasts aren’t “video-first” | 0 | 11.59 | 20-02-2026 |
| 3 | Apple Podcasts launches video - all the details | 0 | 9.04 | 17-02-2026 |
| 4 | Global puts podcasts and radio in the driving seat | 0 | 9.59 | 19-02-2026 |
| 5 | Podcasts from the Epstein Files | 0 | 8.31 | 13-02-2026 |
| 6 | Revealed: Podcast Movement NYC | 0 | 8.28 | 26-02-2026 |
| 7 | New TV ad showcases podcast app | 0 | 9.48 | 24-04-2026 |
| 8 | Podcasts overtake spoken-word radio | 0 | 10.79 | 27-02-2026 |
| 9 | Significant new podcast company launches in UK | 0 | 7.93 | 05-02-2026 |
| 10 | Podcast advertising measurement “is broken” | 0 | 7.59 | 29-05-2026 |