Transporting listeners back to 1990s Miami, the series re-examines the unsolved assassinations of three radio journalists in Little Haiti, linked to pro-democracy broadcasts
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NEW YORK – April 27, 2023 – Kaleidoscope and iHeartPodcasts, in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), today announced the launch of a new eight-part series, “Silenced,” that re-examines the murders of radio broadcasters in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood in the early 1990s. The murders were never solved, leaving a wound in Little Haiti that is still open to this day. One of the detectives involved in the investigation declared, “These men were killed for words they spoke on the airwaves.” The new podcast debuts today, at a time when the rights of journalists reporting abroad continue to be violated in record numbers, with the shocking detention of Evan Gershkovich in Russia the latest example.
Co-hosted by Oz Woloshyn, Kaleidoscope co-founder, and Ana Arana, an award-winning veteran investigative journalist, “Silenced: The Radio Murders” investigates the Haitian broadcasters’ assassinations during a period of extraordinary hope for the establishment of democracy in Haiti. Arana first reported on these murders in the early 1990s for CPJ and is returning to the investigation in hopes of finding the masterminds behind the murders and have them held accountable. Woloshyn investigated the serial murders of hundreds of women along the U.S.-Mexico border in his previous podcast series, “Forgotten: Women of Juarez,” and hopes to deliver a similarly far-reaching impact with “Silenced: The Radio Murders.”
To illuminate the context and possible motive for the murders, Woloshyn and Arana will speak with DEA agents who shed light on rampant cocaine trafficking among the Haitian military, which enjoyed strong support in certain quarters in the US. Throughout the series, the two will uncover elements that show missteps and mysteries, perhaps politically motivated, that remain unaccounted for decades later.
Ana Arana remarked, “When we began this podcast we wanted to tell a story about impunity and the impact it has on immigrant communities. However, as the series developed, we realized the need to have federal authorities re-examine the cases because they encroached on the First Amendment and the essential right to free speech. With their murders, these voices and the ideas that those broadcasters held were silenced.”
Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, Advocacy and Communications Director at CPJ, commented, “We are proud to collaborate with Kaleidoscope and iHeartPodcasts to bring ‘Silenced’ to a global audience. Nearly 30 years after Ana first reported on these cases, the fight for justice persists. We look forward to digging into the new evidence they've uncovered and continuing our pursuit of full accountability for the murders of these Haitian journalists, which have never received the attention they deserve.”
“We are proud to collaborate with Kaleidoscope on their impressive slate of scripted podcasts, “said Will Pearson, President iHeartPodcasts. “Listeners everywhere have been drawn to these real-life stories of wild chocolate hunters, unsuspected astrologists and Russian cosmonauts, and we know ‘Silenced’ will do the same – hopefully leading to some answers as to who was behind these unsolved murders.”
“Silenced: The Radio Murders” is Kaleidoscope’s fourth series release with iHeartPodcasts following “Obsessions: Wild Chocolate,” “Skyline Drive” and “The Last Soviet.”
Kate Osborn, EVP & Head of Podcast Development, Kaleidoscope, stated, “‘Silenced’ is the latest example of Kaleidoscope’s unrivaled ability to bring to life international non-fiction stories that resonate with US audiences and move the conversation forward. We hope that ‘Silenced’ will bring a new focus to a story that deserves far greater attention.”
“Silenced: The Radio Murders” is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will release a new episode every Thursday beginning today with the final episode dropping June 22, 2023. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
About Ana Arana
Ana Arana is a veteran investigative journalist who has received several awards for outstanding journalism, including a team award from the Online News Association, a Third Coast Audio Festival Silver Award, a Peabody and two Overseas Press Club awards, among others. She is a former U.S. foreign correspondent who reported from Central America and Colombia for CBS News and The Miami Herald. Most recently she has reported as a freelance journalist and editor.
About the Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.
About Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope is a New York-based podcast company founded by Oz Woloshyn, host of Forgotten: Women of Juarez and Sleepwalkers, and Mangesh Hattikudur, co-founder of Mental Floss and former Senior Vice President of Podcast Development at iHeartMedia. Our mission is to create compelling narrative podcasts from around the world that take listeners to places they’ve never been and introduces them to a cast of unforgettable real-life characters. Kaleidoscope has secured sizable funding from investors like former MTV head Tom Freston and former Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post editor-in-chief Marcus Brauchli, and is in advanced talks with Hollywood studios, TV networks, and major book publishers about selling adaptations of its podcasts. It has the backing of media deal brokers The Raine Group and is represented by talent agency WME. Visit www.kaleidoscope.nyc for more information.
