The BBC is launching a new Emily Maitlis podcast about the US Election, Americast, hoping to attract younger audiences
A 'deep dive' investigative Panorama podcast series will also be launched via BBC Sounds app
By Adam Sherwin
Updated July 10, 2020 4:27 pm
Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel will present Americast, a BBC podcast covering the US Presidential Election (BBC/Peter Flude)
The BBC is launching a range of new podcasts, including a weekly show called 'Americast' in which Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel follow the US Presidential election, as well as a Panorama podcast, as it seeks to drive younger audiences towards its news and current affairs output.
The broadcaster will this week announce a range of new podcasts, from "true crime" and investigative series, to American politics, comedy and music, which listeners can access through its BBC Sounds app.
Last week, staff were in revolt as the corporation announced cuts to its news operation which will lead to 450 job losses. The BBC said resources had to be shifted towards reaching a younger, digitally-savvy audience that does not tune in to scheduled programmes.
Brexitcast spawns Americast
Americast, from the creators of the hit Brexitcast podcast, sees Newsnight presenter Maitlis and the BBC's North America Editor Sopel join forces to follow the US presidential election, from the Democratic primaries through to election night in November.
The "old friends" will "catch up across the Atlantic and share the latest drama from the race for the White House" in the episodes, which will drop weekly.
Ms Maitlis said of Americast: "We'll offer an insider's take on what's happening beneath the headlines. What's more, we'll reunite the Maitlis/Sopel BBC presenting combo in a format where we don't have to sit next to each other and may therefore have more chance of keeping a straight face."
Newsnight's Emily Maitlis during her interview with Prince Andrew (PA)
Sopel said: "We don't have a dog in this fight. We are going to look at what is going on and give a fresh and impartial perspective on what promises to be a fascinating election."
Brexitcast most popular on Sounds
Americast launches this week, covering the Iowa caucuses, with extra episodes likely to increase in frequency in the days running up to the November 3 poll.
There were more than 100 million plays of podcasts and on demand radio programmes on BBC Sounds in the last quarter with more than half a million young people (16-34s) using it each week.
Brexitcast, which transferred to BBC1, was the most popular Sounds podcast.
'Different insight'
Maitlis will continue to be lead presenter on Newsnight, which is to cut by half its in-depth film reports, leading to fears that its presenting team and editors will leave.
Critics have questioned the editorial value of a Today podcast for younger audiences launched in 2018 called Beyond Today, which has so far enjoyed limited impact.
A BBC source added: "We have to find new ways to reach wider audiences. Podcasts on BBC Sounds give us an opportunity to get the best of our original journalism out to everyone in an increasingly popular way that gives listeners a different insight into the biggest stories in the UK and around the world."
Panorama spin-off
Panorama, the world's longest running current affairs programme, will also launch a podcast series following a single investigation over multiple episodes in the style of the hit series Serial. Freed from the restrictions of a 30-minute TV episode, the Panorama spin-off is to chart a global investigation in forensic detail.
Rachel Jupp, Editor of Panorama, said: "We want to take new audiences on the investigative journey with us, to delve deeper into the story and to understand all the journalism that goes on behind the scenes. We're really excited that Panorama is entering the world of podcasting."
Emily Maitlis