Audacy is shuttering Pineapple Street Studios, the podcast production house it acquired in 2019, marking another wave of layoffs as the company continues a broader restructuring of its audio assets. Approximately 30 employees will be let go in the process.
Pineapple Street was founded in 2016 by Jenna Weiss-Berman and Max Linsky and quickly gained a reputation for producing standout podcasts, both original series and branded content. The studio became known for its partnerships with major streamers such as HBO, Hulu, and Apple, producing companion podcasts for popular shows like House of the Dragon, Severance, and The Last of Us. Audacy, then operating as Entercom, acquired Pineapple Street for $18 million as part of a podcasting push that also included Cadence13 and 2400Sports.
The announcement follows reports earlier this year that Audacy had been exploring the sale of Pineapple Street. Weiss-Berman, who had served as Executive Vice President of Podcasts since 2023, left the company in February. She now leads the audio division at Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions.
Leah Reis-Dennis was promoted to Head of Podcasts at Audacy in March, shortly after the company merged Cadence13 and 2400Sports into a unified brand now operating as Audacy Podcasts. That move signaled the company’s intention to streamline podcast operations and focus on properties with stronger commercial potential.
Despite the closure, some Pineapple Street productions will continue under the Audacy Podcasts banner. Among them is The Severance Podcast, originally developed by Pineapple Street for the streaming show’s first two seasons. Production will now be overseen by Audacy Podcasts in collaboration with Red Hour and Great Scott, with five new episodes scheduled for release across the summer and fall.