Mo Rocca’s podcast “Mobituaries” was born out of the innate curiosity that he brings to his work as a correspondent for “CBS Sunday Morning,” focusing in on his love of obituaries – something he picked up from his father – to bring listeners unique tributes to dearly departed people and things that Mo feels never received a proper send-off. Given Mo’s role with CBS News, “Mobituaries” was created with an eye toward brand synergy across Paramount Global. In Season 4, a goal was to evolve the show to include more expansive concepts that veer from the standard format of the show.
Mo and team assemble a list of topics for each season, then they get to work sourcing guests of all backgrounds who join the show as experts. In Season 4, the podcast incorporated specials episodes built around a theme, such as an episode about things that Mo wishes would die (including food buffets, noise, and standing ovations); an episode about public figures who died on the same day (think Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett); and an episode about the death of the old timely “Mid-Atlantic” accent associated with legendary Hollywood stars such as Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis and Orson Welles. The show smartly taps into the immense audience that tunes in for “CBS Sunday Morning”, shaping TV segments around select episodes of the podcast.
When the fourth season launched this year, it topped the Apple Podcasts History chart and reached the top 10 of History podcasts on Podtrac (while in season). Year-over-year, “Mobituaries” saw a 53 percent improvement in monthly average downloads and a 28 percent increase in annual series downloads. The average consumption rate for the series is a remarkable 96 percent. A previous Shorty Award winner, “Mobituaries” has also been honored by the W3 Awards, DotComm Awards, Signal Awards, and W3 Awards. The show regularly receives press attention from national and local outlets. In support of Season 4, Mo appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” beloved New York and Los Angeles public radio shows “The Brian Lehrer Show” and “AirTalk with Larry Mantle,” and podcasts that include Exactly Right’s “I Said No Gifts with Bridger Winegar” and iHeart’s “The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs.” among others. The series has also received ongoing cross-promotional support from “CBS Sunday Morning.”
