Surviving as a Niche Network: Lessons from Scripted Fiction

What happens when a podcast network is built around storytelling as the organizing principle—not just as a buzzword or content strategy? That’s the lens this conversation explores: how prioritizing story and narrative coherence over ad inventory or content volume shapes not only production, but the listener’s entire experience. Joining to discuss, Jeremy Westphal explains why approaching everything—from show selection to advertising to surveys—with a story-first mindset creates a distinct identity and audience relationship.Jeremy Westphal draws on hands-on experience from building audio projects at major brands like Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to now running a 30+ show network, GZM, focused on original scripted fiction for kids, families, and young adults. With more than a decade of operational roles across production, ad sales, and partnerships, he brings unique perspective on how a podcast network can balance original storytelling with business realities.Listen For:09:29 Creating Podcasts13:41 Understanding Media Business Models18:09 Challenges of original content creation25:49 Understanding the audience demographics29:33 Improving audience experience32:57 Reaching your podcast audience38:14 Importance of network and scale48:52 Independent scripted productions success50:24 The evolution of podcast production01:00:00 Licensing books for podcasts01:07:41 Building an Authentic Audience01:11:37 Producing and sustaining a podcastCONNECT WITH GUEST: JEREMY WESTPHAL, DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS AT GZM SHOWSWebsite | LinkedInPodcast rec: Sherlock & Co. | Earth RangersBook rec: Dragonships series by Scott ReintgenCONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COMWebsite | LinkedInSystems, Sponsors, and Partners:Hosted with RSS.com Podcast HostingProduced by Stories & StrategiesContent Repurposed with CastmagicPodcast Project Management with Northflow