New data from Edison Research suggest that audio consumption--that is, transmitted and broadcast audio, like podcasts and radio--might be determined by where a person lives. The company's newest report suggests a difference in listenership for both podcasts and radio depending on whether the listener is predominantly urban, suburban or rural. And some of the results are surprising. How do such data impact our approaches to podcast growth, or listener engagement or monetization? This episode of Before, Behind and Between talks about these issues and how podcasters and radio producers alike might be affected.

World Radio Day is celebrated annually on February 13. The original UNESCO proclamation for World Radio Day happened in 2011, and in 2013 the UN General Assembly fully endorsed World Radio Day as an international observance. This podcast, Before, Behind and Between celebrates World Radio Day 2024 by giving special recognition to radio as a precursor medium to podcasting as well as a form of expression that continues to inspire podcasters around the world. This episode shares three World Radio Minutes, each produced by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. For more information about World Radio Day, visit www.unesco.org/en/days/world-radio.

Any visit to Mexico seems incomplete without a Mariachi experience. It's one of those musical and visual spectacles that seems synonymous with one of the essences of Mexico. In fact, Mariachi has soared in popularity, as evidenced by the annual International Mariachi Festival in Guadalajara which attracts upwards of 500 Mariachi ensembles. Our recent visit to Jalisco and Nayarit afforded us the opportunity to enjoy a superb Mariachi group performing to an enthusiastic and somewhat rowdy crowd (the audio of which remains in this podcast). Enjoy this episode of Before, Behind and Between in which we feature Mariachi--a bit of our winter vacation in beautiful Mexico.

Political leadership contenders seem to grabbing a fair amount of news coverage lately. But what’s often missing in the mix when we look at the contender is the authenticity, the coziness, not only the talent to interact with just about anyone, but the appearance that they really do seem to enjoy it.  Well, I say, don’t listen to political strategists, take it from the experts on communicating meaningfully with tens of thousands of people in one night: put on the jersey, declare your love, and ask for requests. On a serious note, have a bit of fun as we consider the essentials of leadership. This episode of Before Behind and Between provides some friendly advice to those entering, or hopefully to ascend in, the world of politics and electoral representation. This program is a production of Henley Point.

If you're a fan of North American football, and you've been hearing the rumours, then you won't be surprised that the XFL and USFL are finalizing the details of a merger. What gets interesting is one of the possible names for a new league -- the United Football League. This episode of Before, Behind and Between goes into the details about this mysterious entity, the UFL, as well as what we know about yet another re-launch of the Arena Football League. All scheduled for 2024 (at some point). Before, Behind and Between is a production of Henley Point.

The 2023 by-election for Mayor of the City of Toronto featured a whopping 102 candidates (plus a dog). Not only was the by-election triggered by the sudden, unexpected resignation of a well-liked Mayor, the candidates included former and current councillors, a former Member of Parliament, a former chief of police, a former deputy mayor, and a who's who of previously unknown men and women whose promotional budgets for signs and billboards, in some instances, raised at least a few eyebrows. The City is experiencing a litany of urban challenges, and candidates offered an even greater number of solutions (of which many were highly questionable in their policy efficacy). All that aside, there was one shining light in the 2023 by-election for Mayor of Toronto: the City's motto, "Diversity Our Strength", was evident and ever-resonant right up to the final hours of the campaign. There were a lot a "firsts" in this election, and perhaps the silver lining is how Torontonians celebrated the very diversity expressed and reflected Toronto's motto.

The recent passing of Gordon Lightfoot evoked tributes the world over. Unlike the passing of many celebrities, however, which tend to be followed by social media posts of an article about the star's death and the obligatory RIP added by the account user, this death seemed to inspire the sharing of stories, personal experiences and feelings. That says a lot about the impact a person can have. Like so that of so many other people, my experience with Gordon Lightfoot was unique--it likely didn't happen to too many others. Most importantly, mine was a moment or two that left a lasting impact on me; it also amplified a lesson about the authenticity of a truly down-to-earth human--despite his global stardom. This episode of Before, Behind and Between, this experience with Gordon Lightfoot, is really about character, authenticity and importance of simply being a person to other people.

Henley Point is the production and administrative backbone of Before, Behind and Between. This mini episode provides an update on the activities of Henley Point as well as an overview of the work we do: content creation. This episode also serves as our company update for spring 2023, something we send out to our contact list and clients. Which also demonstrates the utility of a podcast as a corporate form of communication.

Content Creation and Promotion is now in its second printing. The book will be available on Amazon in the coming weeks. This update includes a few adjustments to company names. For example, Facebook is now Meta and Anchor is now Spotify for Podcasters. The updated version also includes new cover art, an improved e-book version, and a new, lower price. The book was originally published as the first installment in the Explained! series in February 2021. This episode of Before, Behind and Between goes into the details of the original printing two years ago.

Silent Night. It's been sung by some of the greatest and most classic recording artists. It's been featured in the film, "The Sound of Music". It was famously sung by American President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill. The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO - declared the song an item of intangible world heritage for its role in fostering and sustaining cultural diversity. But do you know the origins of Silent Night? Listen to this episode of Before, Behind and Between for a peak into some interesting history about one of the world's most enduring poetic and musical compositions. * "Silent Night" is public domain material. This podcast episode is not monetized, and uses portions of "Silent Night" for educational and information purposes only.