diff --git a/catalog/common/sites.py b/catalog/common/sites.py
index 7708863f..16e3dd11 100644
--- a/catalog/common/sites.py
+++ b/catalog/common/sites.py
@@ -107,8 +107,8 @@ class AbstractSite:
         data = ResourceContent()
         return data
 
-    def scrape_additional_data(self):
-        pass
+    def scrape_additional_data(self) -> bool:
+        return False
 
     @staticmethod
     def query_str(content, query: str) -> str:
diff --git a/catalog/jobs/podcast.py b/catalog/jobs/podcast.py
index f21e960a..571425a3 100644
--- a/catalog/jobs/podcast.py
+++ b/catalog/jobs/podcast.py
@@ -26,8 +26,11 @@ class PodcastUpdater(BaseJob):
                 logger.info(f"updating {p}")
                 c = p.episodes.count()
                 site = RSS(p.feed_url)
-                site.scrape_additional_data()
-                c2 = p.episodes.count()
-                logger.info(f"updated {p}, {c2 - c} new episodes.")
-                count += c2 - c
+                r = site.scrape_additional_data()
+                if r:
+                    c2 = p.episodes.count()
+                    logger.info(f"updated {p}, {c2 - c} new episodes.")
+                    count += c2 - c
+                else:
+                    logger.warning(f"failed to update {p}")
         logger.info(f"Podcasts update finished, {count} new episodes total.")
diff --git a/catalog/sites/rss.py b/catalog/sites/rss.py
index 0207cbb9..e37429f6 100644
--- a/catalog/sites/rss.py
+++ b/catalog/sites/rss.py
@@ -111,13 +111,14 @@ class RSS(AbstractSite):
         return pd
 
     def scrape_additional_data(self):
-        item = self.get_item()
-        if not item:
-            logger.error(f"item for RSS {self.url} not found")
-            return
         feed = self.parse_feed_from_url(self.url)
         if not feed:
-            return
+            logger.warning(f"unable to parse RSS {self.url}")
+            return False
+        item = self.get_item()
+        if not item:
+            logger.warning(f"item for RSS {self.url} not found")
+            return False
         for episode in feed["episodes"]:
             PodcastEpisode.objects.get_or_create(
                 program=item,
@@ -139,3 +140,4 @@ class RSS(AbstractSite):
                     "link": episode.get("link"),
                 },
             )
+        return True