Shocking Change: Video, AI, and RSS Podcasting | Dave Jackson #646

In this new episode from a LIVE Jan 7th, 2026 New Media Show, Host RobGreenlee.com is joined by Dave Jackson (School of Podcasting and co-host of Ask the Podcast Coach) to unpack why the current shift toward video and AI feels like an earthquake inside podcasting, while the YouTube creator world treats it like a normal day.

We dig into how creators are now forced to play two games at once: the RSS subscription game and the algorithm discovery game especially for video, and why the definition debates did not matter as much as audience behavior.

Rob and Dave also get practical about what breaks and what endures, including growing frustration with heavy ad loads and pre-roll stacking, the realities of programmatic monetization, and why the first thing a listener should hear is you.

We cover where video delivery and monetization are heading (including HLS and video ad insertion), why “watch something” still defaults to YouTube for most people, and what Apple Podcasts would need to change if it ever wanted to truly reprioritize RSS-based video podcasting again.

Plus, a look at what live content signals in an AI-accelerated era, including the idea of live as proof of life and real-time audience feedback.

Rob also shares reminders about Podfest Expo (Jan 14–18 in Orlando) and the upcoming 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame activity on Jan 16th, 2026 (PodcastHall.com).

Topics Covered:

– Video becoming default across platforms
– AI accelerating the creator loop and increasing pressure to optimize for algorithms
– RSS portability, ownership, and the growing discovery gap
– Programmatic ads, pre-roll backlash, and audience ad tolerance
– HLS, video ad insertion, and why the ad infrastructure is pushing streaming delivery
– Apple Podcasts video discoverability problems and what would need to change
– Netflix exclusivity lessons after the Spotify era of exclusives
– Live as proof of life in a world flooding with synthetic content

Hosts Links

New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com/
Rob Greenlee: https://robgreenlee.com/
Rob on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
Rob on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robwgreenlee/
Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com/
Podfest Expo: https://podfestexpo.com/

Dave Jackson, School of Podcasting: https://schoolofpodcasting.com/
Ask the Podcast Coach (Live Saturdays): https://askthepodcastcoach.com/

The post Shocking Change: Video, AI, and RSS Podcasting | Dave Jackson #646 first appeared on New Media Show.