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TL;DR: heat magazine, the iconic celebrity and gossip brand from Bauer Media, is launching a new ultra short-format podcast in early September as part of its brand extensions that already include heat radio and heat Extra mobile app.
heat, the UK entertainment brand published by Bauer Media Group, is launching its first podcast on Monday, 5th September. The podcast is being produced in collaboration with The Smart 7, a hugely successful daily news podcast created by production house Daft Doris.
In keeping with the seven-minute format pioneered by The Smart 7 – the biggest news and sports stories are delivered each day in under seven minutes and broadcast at 7am – heat 7 will replicate the format and focus on the biggest trending entertainment, showbiz, reality and social news stories in a ‘cheeky tone of voice’.
The podcast will be run by Bauer Media’s Lucie Cave, Editorial Director heat Brand & Commercial Content, and Deputy Editor of heat digital, Eden-Olivia Lord, and will include audio excerpts from exclusive interviews and events. Commenting on the launch, Lucie Cave says, “This is a natural evolution for the heat brand in the digital audio space. The heat 7 will update listeners on everything they need to get up to speed before they’ve even decided between a corn flake and an egg muffin.”
When asked if the heat 7 podcast would clash with the existing Smart 7 podcast, a spokesperson from Bauer told WNIP that the entertainment and showbiz category only amounts to a small percentage of The Smart 7’s output, and the collaboration would be “complementary and offer opportunities for cross-promotion”.
The spokesperson also disclosed that whilst the podcast’s stories will be recorded as close to broadcasting as possible, stories that aren’t time sensitive will be recorded in advance whilst breaking news will be recorded early morning and edited together.
Bauer Media refrained from disclosing commercial details but added that both heat 7 and The Smart 7 are working ‘very closely” with Acast, the Swedish-founded company that provides hosting, monetization and growth support to podcasts. The company also said it is “exploring opportunities with their existing commercial partners”.
Commenting on the launch, Esther Kezia Thorpe, Co-founder of Media Voices and the forthcoming Publisher Podcast Summit, says, “It’s great to see yet another strong podcast launch from Bauer Media. Heat is one of the best-known entertainment magazines in the UK, and the way this partnership has been set up with the Daft Doris team is a smart move in ensuring the show launches with a huge bang.
“The daily podcast market is heavily dominated by news and politics. This entertainment and showbiz-focused podcast will stand out and help build a strong habit with both existing heat fans, and podcast aficionados who may not be as familiar with the heat brand.”
