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The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Amazon overhauls Wondery podcast studio, cuts 110 jobs
Amazon logo is seen in this illustration taken February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration (Reuters) - is restructuring the Wondery podcast studio by shifting its award-winning narrative podcasts such as "Business Wars" to Audible and consolidating creator-led shows into a new unit, according to a memo seen by Reuters. About 110 employees will be laid off as part of the process, while many Wondery employees will transition to other parts of Amazon, the company said in an emailed statement on Monday. Wondery CEO Jen Sargent will depart the company following a transition period, the memo said. Intense competition in the expensive podcast industry as well as a growing focus on creator-led video content have prompted audio streaming companies including Spotify to diversify their podcasts as they look to lower costs and attract more users to their platforms. "As video podcasting has grown in popularity, we have learned that creator-led, video-integrated shows have different audience needs and require distinct discovery, growth and monetization strategies compared to audio-first, narrative series," Steve Boom, vice president of audio, Twitch and games at Amazon, wrote in the memo. Wondery was acquired by Amazon in 2021 and has seen podcast revenue quadruple since then as the studio expanded its slate to include video podcasts and creator-driven series, according to the memo. Under the new structure, Wondery's narrative podcast studio - home to shows such as "Dr. Death" and "American Scandal" - along with the Wondery+ subscription service, will move to Audible, the e-commerce giant's audio platform. Its creator-focused podcast team that produces shows including "Mind the Game", "New Heights", and "Armchair Expert" will join a new Creator Services group within Amazon's Talent Services division. This new team will continue to operate the creator-focused podcast studio under the Wondery brand. "By making these changes, we can better support creators in monetizing their content across multiple channels," Amazon said. Bloomberg News first reported on the Wondery overhaul. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Satellite firm SES wins $90 million contract to support U.S. Army
Satellite model is placed on SES logo in this picture illustration taken April 4, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration (Reuters) -SES has won an $89.6 million contract to provide its commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) services to the U.S. army, the European satellite company said on Monday. Its SES Space & Defense subsidiary has been awarded the five-year deal, the company said. It will supply its strategic transport and communications network to Combat Service Support, Department of Defense (DoD) programmes, as well as additional U.S. government agencies.
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Google agrees to curb power use for AI data centers to ease strain on US grid when demand surges
FILE PHOTO: A logo of Google is seen on its office building in Hyderabad, India, January 29, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo NEW YORK, August 4 (Reuters) -Google has signed agreements with two U.S. electric utilities to reduce its AI data center power consumption during times of surging demand on the grid, the company said on Monday, as energy-intensive AI use outpaces power supplies. Utilities in the country have been inundated with requests for electricity for Big Tech's AI data centers, with demand eclipsing total available power supplies in some areas. That power crunch has led to concerns about spiking bills for everyday homes and business and blackouts. It has also complicated the technology industry's expansion of AI, which requires massive amounts of electricity - fast. Google's agreements with Indiana Michigan Power and Tennessee Power Authority would involve scaling back power use at the technology giant's data centers when called upon by the electric utilities to free up space on the grid. They are the first formal agreements by Google in demand-response programs with utilities to temporarily curtail its machine learning workloads, a subset of artificial intelligence. "It allows large electricity loads like data centers to be interconnected more quickly, helps reduce the need to build new transmission and power plants, and helps grid operators more effectively and efficiently manage power grids," Google said in a blog post. Demand-response programs have typically been used by other energy-intensive industries like heavy manufacturing or cryptocurrency mining. In exchange, the businesses generally receive payments or reduced power bills. The programs involving AI activity in data centers is generally new, and details of the commercial arrangements between Google and the utilities were not clear. While demand-response agreements apply only to a small portion of demand on the grid, the arrangements might become more common as U.S. electricity supply tightens. (Reporting by Laila KearneyEditing by Bernadette Baum)
