iHeartMedia and OSO Studios Launch “Cardiac Cowboys,” A New iHeartPodcast Narrated by Chris Pine Chronicling the Maverick Surgeons Who Risked Everything to Invent Open-Heart Surgery
Discover the untold story of the fearless and flawed heroes who took on the medical establishment and forever changed the landscape of medicine
“Cardiac Cowboys” premieres today on World Heart Day
NEW YORK – September 29, 2025 – iHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally, and OSO Studios, founded by producer Dub Cornett, today announced the debut of “Cardiac Cowboys,” a new six-episode documentary series narrated by actor, producer, director Chris Pine (Star Trek). The podcast will invite listeners to journey into the riveting true story of the birth of heart surgery, spotlighting medical pioneers from America’s heartland whose courage and ingenuity broke barriers and saved countless lives. The entire series will debut today on World Heart Day, September 29, 2025. Listen now, HERE.
For most of human history, the heart was a sacred organ, off-limits to surgeons. “Cardiac Cowboys” will transport listeners into the operating rooms where these audacious young doctors first dared to challenge conventional wisdom. They competed and feuded with each other, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Working on shoestring budgets, they made use of makeshift laboratories and home garages, rigging together old dairy pumps and beer tubes to build medical devices. In the span of a few short years, these American mavericks pioneered the world’s first open-heart operations, forging tools and techniques that still save lives today.
“As the narrator of ‘Cardiac Cowboys,’ I was struck by the sheer bravery and relentless determination of these medical pioneers.” said Pine. "This story is about rule-breakers who risked everything to save lives and changed the course of medicine for all of us.”
OSO Studios’ Dub Cornett and executive producer John Mankiewicz, in association with Barry Linen Motion Pictures and 13th Lake Media, brought together an award-winning creative team that includes writer and co-host Jamie Napoli, as well as GRAMMY award-winning composer David Mansfield to bring the story of the “Cardiac Cowboys” to life.
“When I first read Dr. Gerald Imber’s book about the Cardiac Cowboys, I knew we had to gather our team and create this series. It’s epic in its real-life battles of life and death. These heroic doctors have saved countless lives and their work continues to this day,” said Cornett. “By partnering with iHeartPodcasts to bring this series to the world, we celebrate the physicians whose achievements have touched every family, in one way or another, reaching all of us who have a heart.”
Cardiac Cowboys” is sponsored by Jasper, the leading AI content automation platform that is purpose-built for marketing. Jasper enabled the iHeartMedia team to get this podcast to market faster by automating the production of its promotional assets, even across a broad and diverse set of audiences and channels—from social posts and video promotions to audio advertising spots—while ensuring quality and brand consistency.
“The story of the ‘Cardiac Cowboys’ is a testament to human courage and innovation—qualities that resonate deeply with so many of us,” said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts. “We believe this series will not only honor the pioneers of heart surgery but also inspire listeners to consider what’s possible when boundaries are challenged. Thanks to Jasper, our team was able to rapidly create compelling marketing materials and seamlessly promote the podcast to audiences everywhere, helping us amplify the impact of this remarkable story.”
“Cardiac Cowboys” is distributed by iHeartPodcasts. Listeners can experience this groundbreaking series on the iHeartRadio app and across all major podcast platforms. Tune in now and rediscover the proud legacy of America’s heartland heroes—where every life saved and every boundary shattered, began with courage and conviction in the beating heart of the nation.
Editor’s Note:
Include the podcast audio player into any article or website using the below embed code.
<iframe allow="autoplay" width="100%" height="300" src=https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-cardiac-cowboys-291672933/?embed=true frameborder="0"></iframe>
Download the show cover art HERE.
About Chris Pine:
Chris Pine is an actor, director, producer, and writer whose career spans film, television, stage, and publishing. He will next be seen in The Kidnapping of Arabella which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and just wrapped the Zellner brothers’ Alpha Gang alongside Cate Blanchett, Léa Seydoux, and Riley Keough. Pine made his directorial debut last year with Poolman, which he also co-wrote, produced, and starred in opposite Annette Bening, Danny DeVito and Jennifer Jason Leigh. His recent credits include Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Disney’s Wish, Don’t Worry Darling, All the Old Knives, and The Contractor. He is widely recognized for his roles in Wonder Woman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the Star Trek reboot trilogy, and the Oscar-nominated Hell or High Water. Beyond film, he authored the children’s book “When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel” and, through his company Barry Linen Motion Pictures, produces a diverse slate of entertainment across film, television, documentaries, and podcasts.
About OSO Studios:
Oso Studios (www.osostudios.com) is an innovative creative production company dedicated to pioneering authentic storytelling across film, television, music, sports, and culture. With a focus on heartland narratives that resonate globally, Oso has developed and produced award-winning content across multiple platforms. Partnering with artists, estates, and rights holders to reimagine iconic stories and bring them to new audiences, Oso produces groundbreaking documentaries, immersive cultural projects, and stories with enduring impact.
About Jasper:
Jasper is the world's leading content automation platform for marketing, purpose-built to help teams accelerate content production, maintain brand consistency, and scale campaigns across channels. By combining deep brand context, workflow automation, and multi-channel scalability in one solution, Jasper transforms how marketing teams work—powering high-performing content at scale across campaign planning, personalization, localization, and compliance.
Jasper is trusted by hundreds of enterprises worldwide, including Prudential, Cushman & Wakefield, Wayfair, and nearly 20% of the Fortune 500. Founded in 2021, Jasper has team members across the U.S., Australia, and France. To learn more about Jasper, visit www.jasper.ai.
About iHeartMedia, Inc.:
iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with nine out of ten Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart’s broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet; twice the size of the next largest broadcast radio company; and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to Podtrac, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, with five times more followers than the next audio media brand, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company will continue to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.
