Exactly two years ago, Fox Tales published an interview with the PBS television host and producer Darley Newman, whose “Travels with Darley” TV series and her podcast, “Equitrekking” are distributed through many platforms, including Amazon Prime, Korean Airlines, iHeart, and Apple Podcasts. Darley is a award-winning chronicler of travel adventures focusing on immersive, experiential programs. The show is available in over 85 countries.
When we last spoke to Darley, we asked how she connected with Fox Associates to begin with, and got an introduction to her multifaceted business. This year, our colleague Bill Bell, Fox Associates Chief Growth Officer, suggested we revisit with Darley, who certainly fits into the Fox Tales coverage area of print and digital media. Plus, Darley was a great interview last time. Here’s our conversation.
Fox Tales: Let’s start with the obvious one, based on Bill’s introduction last month. He says there’s a lot going on with your multimedia travel adventures. What’s new in the last two years?
Darley Newman.
Darley Newman: Lots and lots of travels, especially across the USA! My PBS series continues with 13 new episodes last year in Season 11 and coming out now in Season 12. It is growing in audience outside of Public TV stations through lots of distribution through streaming partners like Samsung, Korean Airlines, Tubi, The Great Courses and more.
I launched a successful “Travels with Darley” podcast, now on Season 3 with iHeart and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and wherever you listen to podcasts. It’s been a fun challenge to make such a visual series related to travel into an immersive podcast. It’s also been growing and proving to drive travelers to new locations, which is exciting. I’m also speaking at events and continuing innovative livestreams with partners like Smithsonian Associates and launching the pilot for “Travels with Darley” audio tours, so staying busy for sure.
Fox Tales: What medium or channel do you find your audience is most engaged with? Why do you think that is?
Newman: We reach a lot of dedicated viewers still through PBS stations and they are quite engaged. We see them traveling to the destinations featured on the series, even saying hello to restaurant owners and other small businesses we profile. That’s so rewarding. In the continually fractured media landscape, it’s nice to see that long-form storytelling is still sought after and PBS stations offer that. I think because we also tell many stories about things that people in the USA can experience in their own backyards that are often hidden gems, our content resonates in particular. We show things that are relatively accessible and easy to experience. A win for the modern traveler who may be short on time or resources, but who is curious and wants to experience new adventures.
Fox Tales: With fast-changing media tech, including AI, how has your work changed as well?
Newman: Over the years, various changes in media technology have made it a lot easier for us to travel and film around the world. Lighter photography equipment has really come in handy as we’ve flown around the world. We were also early adopters of 360 and VR technology, as well as livestreams, which has made for more immersive content and greater engagement over the years. AI is changing things a lot and I’m hopeful that its applications will make it easier for things like media management. We are starting to look at how AI can be treated like a calculator of sorts to help us further catalog and archive media and for other uses.
Fox Tales: How do you select locations for your reviews?
Newman: We’ve been doing this for a long time, which means we’ve built up a strong organic network of experts, regular travelers and other journalists who often tip us off to new places, topics and stories. We also have our personal wish list. I would love if we could get to all 50 states to film for “Travels with Darley.” One thing that makes our content stand out is that we do film in a lot of lesser-trod places in the USA. These are often unsung small towns and natural places that have so much to offer, but may be further afield and less documented. Worth the trip!
Fox Tales: Has your paid-content business grown?
Newman: We’ve seen expanded social-media interest, as my social networks continue to foster community and reach an audience of quality travel, culture, history and food lovers. I’m really enjoying being creative with reels and short videos, as it’s yet another way to translate one experience into multiple mediums. Each outlet has a different audience. Being on all of them can be overwhelming, but it’s also good for expanding our overall brand and sharing the stories we love to document.
Fox Tales: What’s next, what’s coming from you as we move into 2025?
Newman: In 2025, we’re debuting new episodes in Season 3 of the “Travels with Darley” podcast, Season 12 of the “Travels with Darley” PBS series and going into production on Season 13 of the series, including the continuation of “Revolutionary Road Trip,” a series of themed episodes within “Travels with Darley” that take viewers to sites related to the American Revolution.
We’re planning new filming locations for “Travels with Darley” Season 13 now with a focus on destinations that foster aspects of accessibility and inclusivity. This includes autism-friendly locations, wheelchair-accessible places, vacations for people with mobility challenges and more. This is a growing trend in travel and one that we believe is good to highlight. Travel provides so many excellent benefits to individuals and families and if we can help more people know where to go and be inspired to get out there, we’ve done something positive, too.