Actor and director LeVar Burton, the multi-award-winning host of PBS’ “Reading Rainbow,” has more recently made a prominent name for himself as a podcaster, with 25 million downloads of his “LeVar Burton Reads,” which features storytelling. During a CES panel on “SXM Media: The Evolution of the Podcast Industry,” moderated by SiriusXM vice president and global head of revenue partnerships Kelli Hurley, Burton and two other panelists described the factors that have made podcasting such a dynamic industry sector, for creators and audiences. For Burton, having creative control was key. Continue reading CES: Podcasting Industry Evolves as Listenership Skyrockets

YouTube is updating its dedicated “Kids” app, first launched in February this year, in the wake of parent and consumer group complaints that its protections against inappropriate content were insufficient. YouTube Kids is divided into categories — Shows, Music, Learning, Explore — but also offers a search feature that can lead to videos outside of the curated lists. The newly updated app, which includes support for Chromecast and Apple TV as well as guest-curated playlists, is expected to be available in the next few weeks. Continue reading YouTube Updating its “Kids” App with Better Parental Controls