“Both traditional broadcasters and podcasters are betting heavily on the growth of voice-driven technology and so-called smart speakers, the theory being that it is as easy to ask Amazon's Alexa to play you the 'Guardian Books' podcast as it is to get it to play Capital FM.”

British music journalist, writer, television presenter, and publishing industry analyst

David Hepworth is a British music journalist, writer, television presenter, and publishing industry analyst. He became a defining figure in British music media in the late 20th century, and is known for helping shape some of the country’s most popular magazines. With Mark Ellen, he helped turn Smash Hits into one of the best-known UK music magazines of the 1980s. He also presented The Old Grey Whistle Test in the 1980s and co-presented the BBC’s Live Aid broadcast in 1985. His work sits at the point where pop journalism, television, and magazine publishing met.