Signal & Noise Podcast
The Signal & Noise podcast, hosted by Rio Longacre and Brett House, features in-depth discussions with industry leaders on how technology, AI, data transparency, and innovation are transforming modern advertising, media quality, and publisher monetization, including episodes addressing challenges in news media, brand safety, and evolving streaming landscapes, highlighted by a special live series from Advertising Week 2025 with prominent experts.
Bringing Clarity to the Chaos of Modern Marketing
Signal & Noise is a podcast that explores the urgent conversations shaping modern advertising, including AI enablement, data transparency, the evolution of streaming, publishers, and the creator economy. Hosts Rio Longacre and Brett House speak with industry leaders to unpack how technology, innovation, and authenticity are redefining outcomes and quality in media.
Signal & Noise Live from Advertising Week 2025
Signal & Noise: Live from Advertising Week 2025 features interviews with:
- Johnathan Barnes, Founder & CEO, Population Science
- Alyssa Furth, Senior Manager, Credera
- Tim Rowe, Curator, State of Streaming
- Scott Messer, Principal & Founder, Messer Media
- Krish Raja, Founder, Mindmaker AI
- Alexis Hochleutner, Founder, Arc Digital
- Shiv Gupta, Founder, U of Digital
- Karsten Weide, Principal & Chief Analyst, W Media Research
- Ethan Steininger, Founder & CEO, Mixpeek
- Erez Levin, Principal, Emet Advisory
- Anne Thiel, Senior Director Ad & RevOps, Cox Automotive
- Bob Walczak, Founder & CEO, MadConnect
Podcast Episodes
Episode 06: Publisher Monetization Woes: Is the News Media in Jeopardy with Jessica Hogue
Hearst Consumer Media Chief Data Officer, Jessica Hogue, discusses how a 137-year-old publisher is rebuilding its data foundation—linking first-party identity, contextual intelligence, and tighter supply paths—to grow revenue beyond the open auction. Topics include AI’s “zero-click” squeeze, brand-safety overblocking, and the push for outcomes without backsliding into last-click.
Episode 05: Stop Blocking the News: Brand Safety, Performance, and the Case for Journalism with Lou Paskalis
Industry veteran Lou Paskalis discusses the state of advertising, brand safety, and the future of news media. The conversation covers why marketers have historically avoided advertising in news, the reliance on keyword and domain blocking, and research showing ads next to quality journalism don’t harm brand perception. The episode also explores how AI, programmatic buying, and publisher data strategies are reshaping journalism economics.
Episode 04: Rise of the Machines: Is the Media Buying FTE Model DOA? with Shiv Gupta
Brett, Rio, and guest Shiv Gupta (Founder & CEO of U of Digital) discuss the impact of AI on the advertising industry. They explore Meta’s push toward fully automated media buying, the future of the agency FTE model, and how AI could upend traditional workflows while creating new roles and business models.
Episode 03: Ad Fraud: Are the Bad Guys Winning? with Dr. Augustine Fou
Brett and Rio examine the crisis of digital ad fraud with Dr. Augustine Fou, a leading expert in ad fraud and digital advertising. The episode covers bot farms, inflated metrics on MFA sites, fraud in CTV, and practical steps brands can take to protect their budgets and boost campaign effectiveness.
Episode 02: Agentic AI and the Future of SaaS with Ben Wilde
This episode explores Georgian's research on AI adoption in marketing and tech teams, focusing on agentic and generative AI. It discusses how AI will enhance existing software, reshape job functions, and the organizational changes needed for successful AI integration.
Episode 01: Revenge of the Publishers: The Great Replatforming with Stephanie Layser
Stephanie Layser shares insights on how publishers can thrive in a tech-dominated digital landscape. Topics include using AI to boost monetization, the move toward direct ad sales, innovation, brand safety, content control, shifting consumer habits, and the role of data in driving engagement and revenue.
Our Guests
Stephanie Layser
Stephanie Layser is the Worldwide Head of Publisher Ad Tech Solutions at AWS, known for her bold approach to AdTech. She has extensive experience in the publishing industry’s digital business, including over five years at News Corp., where she led AdTech and operations.
Ben Wilde
Ben Wilde is the Head of Innovation at Georgian, a growth-stage investor in B2B software companies. He leads efforts in identifying and leveraging cutting-edge technologies and trends, highlighted by Georgian's research on agentic platforms and applications.
Dr. Augustine Fou
Dr. Augustine Fou is the creator of FouAnalytics and a veteran digital marketing expert specializing in cybercrime and ad fraud. He advises government bodies and private clients on cybersecurity, ad fraud reduction, and digital marketing effectiveness. He has held senior roles at Omnicom and McCann, and taught at Rutgers and NYU.
Shiv Gupta
Shiv Gupta is the Founder & CEO of U Digital, with nearly two decades of experience in ad-tech companies like AOL and Criteo. He has trained thousands of marketing professionals at major companies, helping them understand topics from clean rooms to AI-driven media buying.
Lou Paskalis
Lou Paskalis is the CEO and Founder of AJL Advisory and Chief Strategy Officer at Ad Fontes Media. He has held senior brand roles at American Express and Bank of America, led media investment and data strategy, and worked at MMA Global shaping standards around media effectiveness and data governance.
Jessica Hogue
Jessica Hogue is the Chief Data Officer for Hearst’s consumer media divisions, with over 20 years of experience in media, journalism, data, advertising, research, analytics, and technology. She is responsible for data strategy, new data product development, and governance.
Signal & Noise
Real talk from thought leaders across the industry about the media, technology, and data strategies having the biggest impact on our industry, our jobs, and our lives.
Meet Our Hosts
Brett House
Brett House is the Senior Vice President of Product GTM & Growth at MediaRadar, with over 20 years of experience in adtech and martech. He has helped build and grow data and measurement SaaS businesses, is a published author, public speaker, and podcaster on advertising transformation, and holds an MBA from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.
Rio Longacre
Rio Longacre is a Partner, Advertising and AdTech at Omnicom's Credera and former Managing Director of Advertising and Marketing Transformation at Slalom Consulting. He is a thought leader on Customer Experience, MarTech/AdTech, and digital business transformation, and is a prolific author, public speaker, blogger, and podcaster.
Podcast Guest Inquiries
Are you or someone you know an expert in the marketing intelligence, advertising, or adtech industry? Fill out the form if you're interested in joining the podcast as a guest or have a colleague to recommend.
About Signal & Noise
Join advertising industry veterans Brett House and Rio Longacre as they share regular updates and analysis on the changing world of marketing and technology. Hear real talk from thought leaders across the industry about the media, technology, and data strategies having the biggest impact on the industry, our jobs, and our lives.
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