New "TED Radio Hour" Host Manoush Zomorodi Brings Audio Experience, Fresh Ideas

With deep experience in both public broadcasting and podcasting Zomorodi is wellversed in the particularities of audio She previously worked for the BBC and New York Public Radio and in 2013 launched her first podcast Along the way she wrote a book Bored and Brilliant How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self and even gave her own widelyviewed TED Talk on the attention economyAssuming the helm of TED Radio Hour is a tall order but it39s one Zomorodi says she has been building towards her entire career MediaVillage caught up with her to discuss how she will put her stamp on the show her wish list for interview subjects and how TED Radio Hour distinguishes itself in a crowded audio marketAlli Romano You39re taking over a hit podcast that had a popular host in Guy Raz How will you preserve TED Radio Hour39s traditions of success while also infusing it with your own styleManoush Zomorodi You39re still going to get the amazing TED Talks and you39re still going to get interviews that tell you something newamp8230 You want to feel like you39re getting something more than what happened on the stage and that39s what the interviews are about amp8212 getting fresh ideasWhat will be different is me It will be different by virtue of who I am I am a middleage woman I am a mother I am a firstgeneration American and I can39t help but have a different take on things than Guy Raz As much as I know people will miss him change is not always a bad thing The transition can be hard but let39s go on a journey togetherRomano What have you done to prepare for this new roleZomorodi My whole life has been preparations I39ve been so steeped in the idea of public media as a public service first when I worked at the BBC then New York Public Radio I believe in the mission of public media TED and NPR That39s been my approach to journalism and to storytelling all along so I don39t feel like I have all that much preparing to do other than to get to know the team amp8212 and they are so talentedRomano Who would you most like to interviewZomorodi I have a whole list and it is already coming true I have such good memories of seeing one of my favorite bands OK Go do a TED Talk I wanted to talk to the lead singer about his creative process and I did I am still pursuing Shonda Rhimes and I39d like to interview Hannah Gadsby because her TED Talk was awesomeRomano You first got into podcasting in 2013 with your tech podcast Note to Self How has the industry changedZomorodi The sheer volume is the biggest thing Also more people know about it and we39re over that hump which is a relief amp8212 although there are still not enough people listening yet It has protected us but also limited us as podcastersWhat39s changed is now everyone is doing it If you have a brandamp8230 you have ecommerce therefore you have social media therefore you have a podcast It has become another task on the todo list There is something for everyone but for the podcasting prosamp8230 I hope we continue to get the support from the public that is clearly neededRomano Out of the more than 900000 podcasts why should people listen to yours What is differentiates the showZomorodi That39s something I39ve been thinking about so so hard With the TED Radio Houramp8230 the reason that I39ve been such a longtime listener is the sense of putting life in context amp8212 about getting away from the constant breaking news and the constant todo list calling your name and thinking big thoughtsIn this day and age it matters that we can get a 30000foot view on everything from science to art to space exploration to business to all the things we deal with every day We rarely stop and think quotHow does this compare to what happened in the past where are we now where do we go from herequot Taking a moment and putting life in context is very much what we do It is an hour but a very efficient way to get exposed to the biggest ideas and speakers out thereAlso the audio production is topnotch You don39t even notice and that39s how it should be it is baked into the experience When you listen to the scoring and sound production you can tell the team puts so much into thisRomano You39ve written and spoken about all the demands on Americans39 attention As a podcast host you39re also vying for that time What does it take to earn itZomorodi The one thing we can39t multiply is the amount of hours in the day You can doublescreen and multitask all you want but the brain can only focus on so much That people have committed their ears to me is a privilege and I take that responsibility incredibly seriously I want them to feel transported like they39ve learned about something new amp8230 and something applicable to their lives I absolutely believe in solutionsdriven journalism I39ve seen the impact that my TED Talk my book and my podcasts have had on peoples39 lives That39s why you do it so listeners are entertained and educatedDon39t stop now Stay in the know on NPR39s audience programming and talent with more from NPR InSitesClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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New "TED Radio Hour" Host Manoush Zomorodi Brings Audio Experience, Fresh Ideas

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Alli Romano

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New "TED Radio Hour" Host Manoush Zomorodi Brings Audio Experience, Fresh Ideas

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