The main point of the site isn’t that Ads are bad. It’s that too many Ads end up driving away listeners, and are therefore self-defeating. There’s an acceptable ratio of ads to content (10% airtime or less).

There is a set of hobby casts in small niches.

Also in some countries you got public radio stations producing podcasts (even podcast first formats not played on radio) - while that might Fall under subscription, while not being a subscription on anything specific.

I haven't listened to podcasts in years, but used to enjoy them. I would've paid for a YouTube premium-esque subscription to skip ads on all the podcasts on my podcast app of choice. I'd want the podcast to get a cut from that subscription that would make it worth it, in the same way YouTube premium makes it worth me not seeing ads.

(I use Sponsorblock on YouTube too since there are platform ads and then sponsors baked into the videos.)

What are the ones spreading blatant disinfornation financed by?