Ad for AIB-sponsored The Capital B podcast with Nick Webb, with Niall McGarry, left, and Róisín Hogan, a former star of BBC’s The Apprentice, right

The numbers are in.

They’re a bit sketchy.

Further to the circulation of a video in mid-November alleging that the number of listeners of a 2017 episode of an AIB-sponsored “Capital B” podcast was inflated by the use of a “click-farm”…

And Ireland’s largest media agency Core subsequently suspending its contracts with Joe.ie and Her.ie publisher Maximum Media after the claims…

And Niall McGarry, the founder of Maximum Media, stepping down from all executive responsibilities in the Irish operation…

Yesterday, in the Business Post.

Aaron Rogan reported:

Listenership figures on a number of Maximum Media podcast episodes were falsely inflated, the Business Post has learned.

The Joe.ie publisher and media reports have previously referred to a single incident of a click farm being used on an episode of the 2017 AIB-sponsored “Capital B” podcast.

However, it has emerged this weekend that up to 13 podcast episodes were boosted following payments to a click farm in the week after each one was released.

Maximum Media executive chairman Justin Cullen did not reveal the figure when contacted, but confirmed yesterday that “several episodes across the series were affected”.

Mr Rogan also reported:

Cullen and Maximum‘s chief commercial officer Gillian Fitzpatrick met with the IAB last week to face questions about the incident. The company assured the industry body of its commitment to a commercial charter around falsifying figures, according to the IAB.

More Maximum Media podcast hits were inflated (Business Post)

Previously: Any Other Business?