Ainsley Rossitto appointed head of podcasts at Beehiiv

Creator media portal beehiiv said it has hired Ainsely Rossitto as head of podcasts, a sign that the company, perhaps best known for backing newsletters, is eager to tackle other parts of a new wave of influencer-focused platforms.

Rossitto was vice president of digital strategy and operations for podcasts at Paramount and previously held positions at NPR.

“We’re really putting a lot of firepower behind podcasts and it’s a big focus for 2026 and beyond. We think this is a huge opportunity,” said Tyler Denk, co-founder and CEO of beehiiv, during a recent interview. “We feel like we’re on the ground floor when it comes to capturing and providing opportunities for podcasters.”

Beehiiv wants to become a more serious player in providing podcast infrastructure and integrating audio into the platform it operates. Among the independent journalists using Beehiiv are Oliver Darcy, who runs the Status media industry newsletter, and Joanne Stern, the former Wall Street Journal technology columnist who recently launched the tech news outlet “New Things.”

Beehiiv’s goal is to bring as many creator media options under one umbrella for its users, who may long for a single hub for tools, rather than using a broader range of partners to keep their businesses running.

If creators have to use multiple service providers, Rossitto says, “it’s going to be difficult to gain that audience, know where it is, monetize it and scale it.”

By the end of 2026 beehiiv plans to support video, ad tech, analytics and revenue streams, all tied to podcasting.

Executives at Beehiiv believe the hire will give the company more momentum after a first quarter that saw it forge partnerships with brands and creators including Hearst, The Washington Post, Caper, LA Material, Hope King, Kyle Poyar and Tom Sietsema.

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