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CNN wants to expand its podcast business, bringing new talent and formats to the fast-growing audio (and increasingly video) business.

But first, it needs to do a little rebrand.

CNN is rebranding the division from CNN Audio to CNN Podcasts, recognizing the fact, well, people call them podcasts.

“I remember when I first got into podcasting at Slate Magazine, people were saying ‘I hate the word podcast, podcast is such a dumb name,'” says Steve Lickteig, the head of CNN Podcasts in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “But it’s the name! That’s what we’ve called it from the beginning. I did see across the industry, places that were switching from podcasts to audio, and CNN did the CNN Audio thing back before my time. I think it was just sort of a trend of getting away from podcasting. But the fact is, these are podcasts.

CNN Audio announced today the launch of their latest podcast offering, The Account from CNN. The Account is CNN’s new home for powerful, narrative-driven audio storytelling. The series will be made up of multi-episode seasons featuring in-depth reporting from the network’s unparalleled roster of global journalists as they immerse listeners in dynamic news stories.

“We are launching The Account as a home for audio-first storytelling built specifically for listeners, not just adapted for them,” said CNN Audio Executive Producer Steve Lickteig. “This narrative style gives our journalists the space to comprehensively capture their reporting from multiple angles and points of view, and each series within the feed will showcase a story uniquely suited to our reporters’ expertise—stories best experienced through the depth and intimacy of podcasting.”

The series’ first season, Persuadable, follows CNN Senior Correspondent Donie O’Sullivan as he investigates how and why some individuals are susceptible to modern conspiracy theories.

CNN Audio announced today that Steve Lickteig has joined the network as the Executive Producer of podcast and audio content, managing production and strategy. Lickteig will report into Katie Hinman, CNN’s Vice President of Development, whose portfolio includes overseeing the CNN Audio brand, with marquee programming such as All There is with Anderson Cooper, The Assignment with Audie Cornish, Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, The Axe Files with David Axelrod, CNN 5 Things, CNN One Thing, and more. Lickteig brings a wealth of experience to the role, having worked in the media and audio industry for over 20 years.

Lickteig is the co-founder of Small Good Thing, a podcast consulting and development company. Prior to that, he was the Executive Producer of Podcasts and Audio for NBC News and MSNBC. He also spent three years running the Slate Podcast Network, overseeing 25 shows, including Slow Burn, Decoder Ring and Slate’s daily news podcast,...

Chuck Rosenberg is charting an unusual course for a TV-news outlet. NBC News will be ecstatic in coming days if Rosenberg’s conversations with newsmakers are heard but not seen.

A former U.S. Attorney and FBI Chief of Staff, Rosenberg these days is better known as a contributor for MSNBC. Starting today, he will add to the news outlet’s reporting in a unique way, with a ten-episode podcast called “The Oath” that features a series of deep conversations with top former U.S. law officials such as James Comey, Preet Bhara and Andrew McCabe, all about their personal histories and the influences that shaped their careers in law enforcement and the cases they pursued.

“This is for people who are interested in the news, but want to go deeper, people who want to understand what drives very difficult decision-making, people who want to learn,” says Rosenberg, who has...

The sixth annual Indie Grits Festival, hosted by the Nickelodeon Theatre in Columbia, South Carolina, is actually more than just a film festival. Much, much more. From April 20-28, there will be film screenings, food tastings, bands playing, theater performances, a craft fair, a technology conference and oh so much more.

As for the films, though, every night — and a few afternoons — of Indie Grits is jam-packed with unique and creative independent feature-length movies and short films. Screenings take place at two locations: At the original Nickelodeon theater at 937 Main St. and at the New Nick location just up the road at 1607 Main St.

The fest opens with Bill and Turner Ross’ narrative feature Tchoupatoulis, about three brothers who sneak into New Orleans on their own to witness the visual spectacles the city has to offer; and the documentary Dragons of Jim Green, directed by Randy M. Salo, about a...