Creator-media portal beehiiv said it hired Ainsely Rossitto as head of podcasts, a sign that the company, best known, perhaps, for backing newsletters, is eager to tackle other parts of a new wave of influencer-focused platforms. Rossitto had been vice president of digital strategy and operations for podcasts across Paramount and previously held roles at NPR. “We are really putting a lot of firepower behind podcasts and it’s a big, big focus for 2026 and beyond. We think it’s a huge opportunity,” says Tyler Denk , co-founder and CEO of beehiiv, during a recent interview. “We feel like we are on the ground floor in terms of being able to capture and provide opportunities to podcasters.” Beehiiv aims to become a more serious player in the business of providing podcast infrastructure and incorporating audio into the platform it operates.…