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BARACK AND MICHELLE Obama’s production company Higher Ground has signed a deal with Spotify to create a series of podcasts for the music streaming service.
“We’re excited… because podcasts offer an extraordinary opportunity to foster productive dialogue, make people smile and make people think, and, hopefully, bring us all a little closer together,” the former US president said in a statement released by Spotify and Higher Ground.
The former first lady also said she was “thrilled to have the opportunity to amplify voices that are too often ignored or silenced altogether.”
For the past year, Spotify – better known for streaming music playlists — has been moving into the business of podcasting. In February, it paid $230 million (€204m) for the respected US podcast production house Gimlet Media.
Several major players in the industry are seeking to shift podcast production away from the current model, where the audio broadcasts are free and producers earn revenue from advertising, towards a platform where users pay for content.
Luminary, which has already raised $100 million from investors, launched its new platform for a monthly subscription fee of $7.99 in April.
On Tuesday, the French service Majelan was launched with programs accessible in 50 countries for a monthly fee of €4.99.
The Obamas’ production company was created in 2018 and has already signed an exclusive deal with Netflix to produce films, television series and documentaries for the streaming giant.
- © AFP 2019.
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It will be five years tomorrow since the sinking of the Asgard in the Bay of Biscay, such a pity it was not possible to salvage it.
It was very possible to salvage her Patricia. It would have been far easier than the salvage of Astrid. But the decision was taken not to do it.
The government were given the insurance money and promptly placed it in a black hole to pay bankers. No maritime awareness in Ireland!
Marine Salvage must be a fascinating job, well done to all involved. However from experience I can tell you that anything metal immersed is sea water for even a short time will never be the same again.
Sea water shouldn’t have much effect on the hull as it would normally be floating on sea water anyway. engines interior fittings and rigging would be a different story. Depending on the amount of damage suffered this could make an ideal replacement for Asgard 2 and Im sure the insurance value of the wreck would be low. possibly just the value of scrap steel. It would make an ideal project for teaching skills such as welding and carpentry to some unemployed people during the rebuilding stages. …….But don’t hold your breath……it will never happen with the gang of idiots we have running the country.
@John Curry, anything built pre-war [as this one was]should have a good hull and would make a brilliant project as you suggest and I would love to see it happen.
John, that would be a great national, or even international, youth project. Have a look at the SS Great Britain in Bristol. Brought back derelict from the Falklands and being restored in dry dock. Astrid should get the same treatment.
Yes Joseph. Perhaps national lotto funding. It wouldn’t be anything as big a project as the ss Great Britain and the benefits would be many. training team building leadership to mention just a few. Also being an island nation we should have a national sail training vessel to show to the world. But alas like I said before I won’t hold my breath.
@John curry well said
I am looking over my photos of the Tall Ships Race in Australia when I was on the Asgard. From all the cruises I was very lucky to have been on, Australia was just amazing. For all wonderful friendships made, seas crossed, experiences, memories and all the stories everyone who sailed on her had, to leave our beautiful Tall Ship at the bottom of the sea when it was entirely possible to salvage her just to put the insurance money into the governments coffers is an absolute disgrace. They should be, well Willie ODea, ashamed of themselves. We have no Tall Ship representing our seafaring nation here and abroad. What pride Asgard brought to people who sailed on her, showed her off on the parades of sail, and visited her all over the world. I am sure I was not the only one who cried openly in front of their family when we heard the news that September morning. I am so happy for the Astrid and all of her crews. What an effort put in by her country to bring her up.
Delighted to see the successful salvage of the Astrid well done to all involved,agree totally with the comments about the Asgard scandal shame on those responsible,but what has me fuming now is the comment by Hugh Barry of the Irish Coast Guard who described her as an EYESORE what kind of clowns are running this country of ours.Hope she can be saved and go sea again
I am glad they were able to remove the sunken ship from the water. I wonder what they are going to do with the ship parts. I am sure they can reuse some of the parts. http://www.frogmetals.com.au/services/
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