Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries Makes Its First Big Deal

Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell’s company, Pushkin Industries, is buying the podcast studio Transmitter Media, marking his company’s first acquisition.

The purchase will help Pushkin take on more work and boost staffing levels by adding Transmitter’s team, most of whom are producers. The deal’s terms were not disclosed.

“It’s a shortcut in a way,” Pushkin Chief Executive Officer Jacob Weisberg said in an interview, adding that experienced producers are “hard to find,” especially those that bring existing business. Transmitter primarily makes shows for third-parties, like the TED Audio Collective and Vox Media. It also releases its own programming.

“We’re two independent companies that will be ...