iHeartMedia

From Western Sound and iHeartPodcasts, ‘Alphabet Boys’ uses secret recordings and leaked records to reveal tactics used by the FBI to infiltrate and subvert protests in Colorado mourning the deaths of Elijah McClain, De’Von Bailey, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor

 Listen to the trailer for ‘Alphabet Boys’ Season 1 HERE 
 

LOS ANGELES, CA — On February 7, 2023, “Alphabet Boys,” a new 10-episode documentary podcast from Western Sound and iHeartPodcasts, will reveal how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) infiltrated and undermined the racial justice movement during the summer of 2020. Listen to the official audio trailer now HERE.

Hosted by investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson, “Alphabet Boys” is a new multi-season narrative podcast that brings listeners inside the world of America’s alphabet agencies, such as the FBI, CIA, DEA, and ATF. The audio documentary series dives into cases that raise a common question: Are federal agents and their informants catching bad guys or creating them? 

Season one draws from hours of secret FBI undercover recordings to tell the story of how a paid informant with a silver hearse and a proclivity for violence became a leader among Denver’s racial justice activists, encouraged violence and destruction, and attempted to set up unsuspecting activists in crimes.

“Federal law enforcement caused violence and destruction in the summer of 2020,” said Zebbodios “Zebb” Hall, a racial justice activist in Denver whose story is told in the podcast. “The FBI’s informant was a criminal who pushed activists toward violence as part of an attempt by the federal government to undermine our political movement from within.”

“Alphabet Boys” will provide the first look behind the scenes at how the FBI investigated racial justice demonstrations during the tumultuous summer of 2020. 

Among the findings in the podcast:

• Despite public assurances from Director Christopher Wray that the FBI does not investigate political ideology, internal reports about the FBI probe in Denver show that First Amendment-protected activities were the basis for the undercover operation.
• The FBI recruited a violent felon with a sexual assault conviction and paid him tens of thousands of dollars during the summer of 2020 to pose as a racial justice activist.
• The FBI informant became a leader in the Denver racial justice movement and promoted protests that turned violent and destructive.
• When concerned that his cover might be blown, the FBI informant accused leaders of the racial justice moment in Denver of being police cooperators — a controversial tactic known as “snitch-jacketing” that was employed to devastating effect during the FBI’s COINTELPRO investigations of Black political groups in the 1960s.
• An informant and undercover agent for the FBI attempted to engineer a plot, involving one racial justice activist in Denver, to assassinate Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.
• Information from the FBI’s informant in Denver prompted an additional investigation in Colorado Springs, where federal agents assigned a pink-haired undercover local cop to orchestrate an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to set up racial justice activists in gun-running conspiracies.

Told as a single narrative over 10 episodes, season one of “Alphabet Boys” features access to never-before-heard FBI undercover recordings and interviews with activists who were the targets of the federal probe. The show also reveals for the first time the identity and sordid history of the controversial informant the FBI paid to spy on racial justice activists.

“The first season of ‘Alphabet Boys’ addresses an important question: How did the FBI respond to racial justice protests during the summer of 2020?” Aaronson says. “We answer that question through FBI internal records and undercover recordings, revealing that federal agents viewed these activists as ‘anti-government extremists’ and tried to set them up in violent crimes using an informant with a long history of violence and deception.”

“As with our No. 1 hits ‘Lost Hills’ and ‘Strangeland,’ ‘Alphabet Boys’ is a deeply immersive narrative that takes listeners inside an important, untold story,” says Western Sound founder and “Alphabet Boys” co-creator Ben Adair. “With Trevor’s groundbreaking reporting and unprecedented access to leaked audio, the podcast audience can experience this invasive, bizarre — and potentially illegal — undercover investigation from the inside.”

“Alphabet Boys” premieres February 7, with the release of the first two episodes. A new episode of season one will be released every Tuesday through April 4. The show is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.

Season two, which will explore a different federal investigation, will premiere later this year. 

About Trevor Aaronson

Trevor Aaronson is an investigative journalist and host of the podcasts “American ISIS” on Audible and “High Rollers,” the second season of the “Chameleon” series. He is the author of The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI’s Manufactured War on Terrorism and a contributing writer for The Intercept. His TED Talk about the FBI’s counterterrorism program has been viewed more than 1 million times and translated into more than two dozen languages. 

About Western Sound

Western Sound is the Los Angeles-based podcast studio behind the #1 podcasts Strangeland and Lost Hills. Established in 2018 by Peabody Award-winning journalist Ben Adair, Western Sound creates its own original shows and partners with clients like Higher Ground, CNN, Audible and The Los Angeles Times. Adair is a leading creator of investigative and immersive podcasts with creator, co-creator, or EP credits on “Reveal,” “Lost Hills,” “Strangeland,” “The Big Hit Show,” “The Trials of Frank Carson,” “The Score,” and others. Western Sound’s most recent awards include Webbys for its original shows Lost Hills and The Score: Bank Robber Diaries. 

This stage play-to-podcast adaptation centers on the daughter of Josef Stalin and her quest through the Iron Curtain to America in 1967 with a secret memoir in tow

Listen to the episode 1 here.

WHAT: iHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, and Broadway Playwright Dan Kistrosser today announce a new scripted podcast titled “Svetlana!, Svetlana!” At 40 years old, Svetlana left everything behind for a new life in the West and the chance to finally share her story. What she found instead—a controversial commune in the Arizona desert built by Frank Lloyd Wright, a whirlwind marriage dictated by destiny and a Montenegrin matriarch with dreams of immortality—was far more complicated. In “Svetlana! Svetlana!,” neurotic playwright Dan Kitrosser unravels the weird and wild life of his greatest muse.

WHO: Dan Kitrosser is a really gay, really Jewish playwright, screenwriter and storyteller. He co-wrote the screenplay for “We The Animals” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the NEXT: Innovator Award, won Best Narrative at OutFest, and was nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards and a GLAAD Award. His plays include “Tar Baby” (First Fringe Award, Edinburgh Fringe, and an Amnesty International Citation for Excellence), “Dead Special Crabs” and “The Mumblings” (optioned for TV series by Fox). He is currently the executive producer for a forthcoming TV show from eOne and also writing the screen adaptation of Edouard Louis’ novel “History of Violence” for Flute Films. Dan was also the resident storyteller for Central and Bryant Parks for much of the 2000s and is the Artistic Director of Writopia Lab’s Worldwide Plays Festival for young playwrights, now in its 14th year. He is a proud member of LineStorm Playwrights, The Dramatist Guild and the Writers’ Guild Association. Dan resides in Philadelphia with his fabulous husband Jordan and their ridiculous pitbull Gemma.

WHEN: “Svetlana!, Svetlana!” premieres January 30th.

WHERE: “Svetlana!, Svetlana!” is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.

COVER ART: Cover Art can be found here.

EMBED CODE: <iframe allow="autoplay" width="100%" height="300" src="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-svetlana-svetlana-107693440/?embed=true">https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-svetlana-svetlana-107693440/?embed=true" frameborder="0"></iframe>

In each episode, English and co-host Greg Glod take an immersive look at America’s war on drugs and examine the true cost of five decades of policy, policing, and persecution

WHAT: iHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, announced today an all-new original podcast from Lava for Good titled “The War On Drugs” hosted by famed Atlanta comedian and actor Clayton English and Attorney Greg Glod.

In 1971, President Nixon declared drug abuse ‘public enemy number one’— the first salvo in America’s War on Drugs. Fifty years later, with drug overdoses in the US at a record high, are we any closer to ‘victory’? The War on Drugs has a more profound effect on society than any of us really understands. It is embedded in the fabric of our culture and permeates our daily lives in visible and invisible ways -- perhaps the most daunting pandemic we face.

“The War on Drugs” will peel back the surface of one of the most complicated periods in U.S. history – with smart comedic takes – showing the ways the war on drugs has fueled incarceration, exacerbated addiction and hampered economic progress. By shining a spotlight on how our communities have crumbled under the weight of this so-called ‘war,’ we can explore the politicization of public health policy, institutional racism and classism in the legislation and administration of criminal law, and how decriminalization and other alternatives could bring the fruitless ‘war’ to an end.

WHO: Originally from Atlanta, Clayton English is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He first came to national attention as the winner of NBC's 2015 ‘Last Comic Standing’ competition and has since headlined in clubs, colleges, and festivals non-stop throughout the country. Clayton has also opened for comedy greats including Dave Chappelle as well as Bill Burr. Clayton made his late-night standup debut on ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ and has appeared on several popular shows; including, ‘LOVE’ on Netflix, ‘AP Bio,’ ‘Brooklyn 99,’ ‘Unprotected Sets’ on EPIX, ‘Comedy Knockout,’ ‘Netflix is a Joke,’ and MTV’s ‘Wild N Out”.

Greg Glod is an attorney and senior criminal justice policy fellow for Americans for Prosperity. Based in Arlington, VA, Glod began his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Laura S. Ripken on the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, Maryland. He subsequently practiced at a litigation firm in Annapolis, In 2017, Glod was named to Forbes “30 Under 30” List for Law and Policy.

WHEN: “The War on Drugs” premieres Wednesday, January 25th.

WHERE: “The War On Drugs” is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.

COVER ART: Cover Art can be found here.

EMBED CODE: <iframe allow="autoplay" width="100%" height="300" src="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-war-on-drugs-107113156/?embed=true">https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-war-on-drugs-107113156/?embed=true" frameborder="0"></iframe>

About Lava for Good

Lava for Good creates standout original content, podcasts, and experiences, amplifying the voices of contemporary social justice champions and inspiring action towards a more informed, empathic, and just society.

Founded and led by renowned music executive, children's book author, and philanthropist Jason Flom along with Lava Media COO Jeff Kempler in association with Signal Co. No1, Lava for Good’s #1-charting lineup of podcasts have been downloaded over 40 million times and are credited with influencing exonerations, clemencies, pardons, legislation and reforms nationwide. The lineup, which features leading experts, attorneys, activists, and journalists on the frontlines of human rights and justice movements, currently includes Bone Valley, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng, Righteous Convictions with Jason Flom, False Confessions, Junk Science, and more, and is available on all major podcast platforms.

iHeartRadio Hosts ‘J Balvin Futurum: A VR Concert Experience’ in Meta Horizon Worlds

NEW YORK, N.Y. – January 27, 2023 – iHeartMedia celebrated new music and artists recently, including the latest “On The Verge” artist, World Premiere debuts and more. This week, iHeartMedia named Coco Jones as its latest ‘On The Verge’ Hip-Hop artist with her single “ICU.” iHeartMedia’s ‘On The Verge’ program helps build awareness for up-and-coming artists through its radio airplay reach and historically, all ‘On The Verge’ artists have charted in the top 30, with more than half landing in the top 10 and over a third claiming the No. 1 chart slot.

This month, Fall Out Boy’s latest single “Love From the Other Side” had a World Premiere debut on January 18 across all iHeartRadio Alternative/Optional Rock stations. Additionally, Cole Swindell’s "Drinkaby" had a World Premiere debut on January 27 across all iHeartCountry stations.

Earlier this week, iHeartRadio announced the upcoming "J Balvin Futurum: A VR Concert Experience,” the latest iHeartRadio Concert Series in VR in partnership with Meta, premiering at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT on February 17. The event will stream in Meta Horizon Worlds for fans with a Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest Pro headset, as well as Messenger’s Watch Together and on iHeartRadio’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Fans can subscribe now to get reminder notifications on the day of the event.

For the latest news, music fans can follow iHeartRadio on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, and visit iHeartRadio.com.

Season Two of the Award-Winning Investigative Series – The Turning – Set to Launch on January 24, 2023; Listen to the official audio trailer now HERE

Much of ballet culture in America stems from the artistry and experience of world-renowned choreographer George Balanchine, who brought ballet to the next level in the United States, creating an entirely new aesthetic and understanding of movement. Despite his genius, he also controlled — and, some would argue, abused — a string of very young muses, even marrying several of them. He created a culture where a male choreographer could grow dancers into obedient “vessels” to be molded into whatever the choreographer wanted. What was the cost of bringing these ballets to life? How far does Balanchine’s shadow extend beyond himself?  

Now in season two of their investigative podcast series – THE TURNING: Room of Mirrors – Rococo Punch, the independent audio production studio, and iHeartRadio, America’s #1 audio company, team up to follow the lives of former, current, and aspiring dancers as they define their complex relationship with the art form they cannot live without. While the image of ballet in modern America is one of delicacy, beauty and status, underneath this elegant veneer is a challenging culture, one that is far more extreme than outsiders might imagine and more complex than insiders may initially realize. It’s a society founded on the culture of a single male leader exerting his control over young women.

With this new season, host Erika Lantz returns to explore a more nuanced look at an insulated world through stories of the women who set the stage for what we know as ballet today. The dancers open up to her about what it means to fully dedicate oneself to an unforgiving yet intoxicating pursuit, and reveal the physical and mental demands inside ballet.  Lantz looks at cultural scripts around gender, race, genius, beauty, body image, and more. Who created the ballet body and how does it persist in modern dance today? What does it mean to perfect “The Line” in ballet? Having studied ballet for 10 years beginning at age 4, Lantz weaves in her own experience and unique perspective.

Coming off the heels of critically acclaimed podcast shows Welcome to Provincetown and Finding Raffi, Rococo Punch and iHeartPodcasts is set to launch THE TURNING: Room of Mirrors on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.  Already named one of Vulture’s “Most Anticipated Podcasts of 2023,” THE TURNING: Room of Mirrors is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.

About Erica Lantz: 

Erika Lantz is a senior producer at Rococo Punch and the host of podcast The Turning. In the first season of The Turning, her reporting on the experiences of former nuns who left Mother Teresa’s religious order won the Livingston Award for International Reporting, the first podcast to do so. Before Rococo Punch, Erika worked at PRX, WBUR, and APM and freelanced as an independent producer and editor. Her work has aired on Snap Judgment, NPR’s All Things Considered, Here & Now, APM, and the CBC, among others. She aims for musicality and emotional depth in her work, which has won national awards for innovation in audio storytelling, including a National Edward R. Murrow Award, recognition from the Gracies and Third Coast International Audio Festival, and the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award for feature reporting.

About Rococo Punch:

Rococo Punch is an independent podcast production company specializing in exquisite sound design and thoughtful content. Current projects range from investigative journalism to game shows to chat-casts. The team developed some of the most listened-to podcasts, reaching millions of people around the world. Among the shows they helped create include the Gracie-award-winning The Turning: The Sisters Who Left, Welcome to Provincetown, Finding Raffi, Queen Of Hearts, Modern Love: The Podcast, and Servant of Pod. Follow @RococoPunch on Twitter and visit www.rococopunch.com for more information.

New York, N.Y. – January 15, 2023 – The sixth annual 2023 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO Presented by Capital One celebrated the biggest names in Alternative Rock live in front of music fans on Saturday, January 14. Hosted by Woody of iHeartRadio ALT 98.7’s nationally syndicated “The Woody Show,” the event brought unforgettable performances from Los Angeles natives Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, Muse, Fall Out Boy, Phoenix, CHVRCHES, Beach Weather and Rosa Linn, at the historic Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California.

The 2023 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO event was broadcasted on iHeartRadio Alternative and Rock stations across the country, on iHeartRadio.com and on the iHeartRadio app. Alternative music fans around the world were able to livestream the event on Veeps.com or via the Veeps app on Apple TV, Roku, iOS, and Android.

The music heard on iHeartRadio’s Alternative and Rock stations shined on stage with an extraordinary lineup that included these special moments:

• Fall Out Boy opened the 2023 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO performing their biggest hits. As the crowd shouted with anticipation the pop-punk icons launched the entire festival with “Sugar We’re Goin Down,” and treated the crowd to their career-spanning smash-hits including “Uma Thurman,” “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race,” a fiery rendition of “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up),” “Dance, Dance,” Thanks fr th Mmmrs” and more.
• Armenian singer/songwriter Rosa Linn made a statement performing in a “Stop the Blockade” jacket. Her set included many of her own songs like "Choices," "WDIA (Would Do It Again)" and "Never Be Mine," and she also sang a beautiful rendition of The Police's hit "Every Breath You Take."
• French Indie band Phoenix lit up the Kia Forum stage with selections from their discography of the last 23 years. They started off with a few songs from one of their biggest albums, 2009's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix including “Lisztomania” and “Lasso.” To wrap up their set, Phoenix burst into their infectious hit from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, "1901." Just when the audience thought the set was over, Mars jumped into the audience and brought his extra-long microphone cord down with him as he walked through the audience then scaling a wall to get to the fans on the second level of the Forum.
• Sporting stylish suits, Beach Weather kicked off their set with, “Swoon,” then performed their new hit single “Trouble With This Bed,” and closed out with "Sex, Drugs, etc."
• Muse delivered electrifying performances of their career-spanning hits. The trio kicked off their high-energy set with the title track of their latest album, a 10-track project titled Will Of The People. The ALTer EGO crowd got to hear live renditions of Muse’s most iconic songs they released through the decades, including “Madness,” “Uprising,” and “Supermassive Black Hole.”
• CHVRCHES sparkled on stage during dance-inducing set and had the crowd on their feet and singing along while perfomring “He Said She Said,” “Forever,” “Miracle,” “Asking For a Friend,” “Mother” and “Clearest Blue.”
• Jack White stunned the audience with his vocals and guitar skills delivering an electric performance of hits “Steady, as She Goes,” “Seven Nation Army,” “Icky Thump” and more.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers closed out the 2023 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO show with a powerful performance of their smash hits “Californication,” “Snow” “The Drummer” and more.

iHeartRadio ALTer EGO Presented by Capital One is part of iHeartMedia’s roster of incredibly successful, nationally recognized concert events, including the iHeartRadio Music Festival, iHeartRadio Music Awards, the nationwide iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Concert Tour Presented by Capital One, iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, the iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One and the iHeartRadio Wango Tango.

iHeartRadio ALTer EGO Presented by Capital One is an iHeartMedia Production. Proud partners of this year’s event include presenting partner Capital One, Planet Fitness, and State Farm.

To access photos and b-roll from the event please visit:

Photo Credit: See Filename (Ex: Rachel Kaplan for iHeartRadio). If the filename is all numbers, please credit Getty Images for iHeartRadio. Please use this doc as a guide

Password: Password: iHeartALT_23!

2023 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO– Show: https://iheartradio.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000TQl70vNfU84/G0000rLz4BozxKU8/Best-Of-2023-ALTer-Ego

2023 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO– Red Carpet:

https://iheartradio.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000KMs4AQIJWns/G000047REBnRUyHY/Press-Room

To access b-roll from this event please visit:

https://crazyduck.wetransfer.com/downloads/c953056ebac0d1cef8ad191644cc85e220230115072537/2c8e1965ebd46dfd93fc84dd4f53038520230115072538/42a3e7?trk=TRN_TDL_01&utm_campaign=TRN_TDL_01&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sendgrid

Hosted by Bobby Bones, the iHeartCountry Festival Will Take Place at Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Saturday, May 13 and Will Broadcast Across iHeartMedia’s Country Music Radio Stations Nationwide

New York, N.Y. – January 17, 2023 – iHeartMedia announced today the return of the “iHeartCountry Festival Presented by Capital One” on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Now in its tenth year, the 2023 lineup will feature Country music’s hottest artists including Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Carly Pearce, Sam Hunt, Elle King, Parker McCollum, Justin Moore, Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, special guest Bailey Zimmerman and more performing live at “Moody Center” in Austin, hosted once again by iHeartMedia's nationally-syndicated top on-air Country personality, Bobby Bones.

“We are so excited to celebrate the tenth year of the iHeartCountry Festival with country music fans in the live music capital,” said Rod Phillips, Executive Vice President of Programming for iHeartCountry. “With this lineup fans are sure to experience a night of unforgettable performances and we are thrilled to be returning to Moody Center in Austin.”

iHeartMedia’s Country music radio stations will broadcast the event live in their local markets and on iHeartRadio.com on Saturday, May 13 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT (7 p.m. CT).

Capital One Cardholders get exclusive access to pre-sale tickets before the general public for 48 hours only beginning Tuesday, January 24 at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT (10 a.m. CT) through Thursday, January 26 at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT (10 a.m. CT). Pre-sale information and tickets can be found at iHeartRadio.com/CapitalOne. Additionally, Capital One Cardholders can add a Capital One Access Pass to their purchase to enjoy an intimate cardholder pre-event at iHeartCountry Festival featuring a special performance by Kane Brown, complimentary food and beverage, and more. Supplies are limited. Eligible cardholders can also redeem rewards for exclusive ticket packages on Capital One Entertainment.

iHeartCountry stations reach more than 100 million country listeners every month, making it the largest Country radio group in America. The iHeartCountry Festival Presented by Capital One is a part of iHeartMedia’s roster of nationally recognized events including the iHeartRadio Music Festival, iHeartRadio Music Awards, the nationwide iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Presented by Capital One, iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, iHeartRadio ALTer Ego Presented by Capital One, iHeartRadio Wango Tango and iHeartRadio Podcast Awards.

iHeartCountry Festival Presented by Capital One is an iHeartMedia Production. Proud partners of this year’s event include presenting partner Capital One, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Ram Trucks, and Wild Turkey ®, with more to be announced. For more information visit iHeartRadio.com/countryfestival.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, January 27 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (12 p.m. CT) via Ticketmaster.com.

Artists and/or events subject to change or cancellation without notice.

About Capital One

At Capital One we’re on a mission for our customers – bringing them best-in-class products, rewards, service, and experiences. Capital One is a diversified bank that offers products and services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients. We use technology, innovation, and interaction to provide consumers with products and services to meet their needs. Through Capital One Dining and Capital One Entertainment, we provide our rewards cardholders with access to unforgettable experiences in the areas they’re passionate about, including dining, music and sports. Learn more at capitalone.com/dining and capitalone.com/entertainment.

About Moody Center

Moody Center provides the nation’s 11th largest city with a premier venue to host the biggest artists and acts on the planet. Designed specifically for concerts, the new arena replaces the 45-year-old Frank C. Erwin Jr. Center at The University of Texas and is home to The University of Texas Women’s and Men’s basketball games, family shows, and other sporting and community events. Moody Center is the first of its kind in the industry with an unrivaled partnership between Oak View Group, Live Nation/C3 Presents, The University of Texas at Austin and Minister of Culture, Matthew McConaughey. Additional information and news, follow @moodycenteratx on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – January 13, 2023 – iHeartMedia celebrated new music and artists recently with World Premiere debuts and more. Miley Cyrus’ new single “Flowers” had a World Premiere debut on January 12 across all iHeartRadio CHR and Hot AC stations. Additionally, the song was highlighted in iHeartRadio’s “New Music Friday” feature across all CHR stations, receiving special plays throughout January 13. Also on January 12, Ledisi’s “I Need To Know” had a World Premiere debut across all iHeartRadio R&B stations.

From January 12 to January 14, fans can catch Carly Pearce in iHeartLand as she takes over the metaverse with iHeartRadio LIVE with Carly Pearce. The special concert will stream for two days only, starting Thursday, January 12th at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. During iHeartRadio LIVE with Carly Pearce, fans will be treated to a special performance from the country star featuring some of her biggest hits, including "What He Didn’t Do" and so much more. Click here to visit iHeartLand.

This Saturday, January 14, the 2023 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO Presented by Capital One takes over Los Angeles once again with an epic night of music. Performing at the Kia Forum this year are Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, Muse, Fall Out Boy, Phoenix, CHVRCHES, Beach Weather and Rosa Linn, and it's all hosted by Woody of iHeartRadio ALT 98.7's nationally syndicated "The Woody Show." Fans can catch a live stream of the show on Veeps.com at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m PT by clicking here. Additionally, Alternative and Rock iHeartRadio stations will broadcast the event live in their local markets, as well as iHeartRadio.com and the iHeartRadio app.

For the latest news, music fans can follow iHeartRadio on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, and visit iHeartRadio.com.

The 8-part investigative series hosted by Journalist Josie Duffy Rice launches Jan 18, 2023

School of Humans and iHeartPodcasts today announce “Unreformed: The Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children.” In 1968, five Black girls escaped from the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children, a so-called “reform school” outside of Montgomery, Alabama. These girls were not the first children to run away from the institution, which everyone called Mt. Meigs. Children tried to escape all the time, desperate to get away from a place described by many as a child’s prison. But this time was different. This time, a girl named Mary Stephens chose to tell someone her story. It was a decision that would change everything.

“Unreformed: The Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children,” hosted by Josie Duffy Rice, is an investigative podcast chronicling the history of Mt. Meigs, an institution that began as a safe haven for black youth before mutating into a “modern-day slave plantation” rife with torture and abuse. It tells the story of the man who decided to blow the whistle on the corruption and brutality that flourished at Mt. Meigs, and the repercussions he suffered as a result. And it traces the histories of the now-adults who were trapped there as children in the 1960s.

The podcast traces how individuals and policies seeded in the Jim Crow era allowed places like it to exist without accountability. It explores how ideas about juvenile criminal justice became institutionalized throughout the country, in places like the Dozier School in Florida, where the remains of 55 boys were discovered in 2012.

“Unreformed” features the voices of survivors who will tell their stories for the first time. Each of them remains haunted by their experience. Among them is artist Lonnie Holley, sent to Mt. Meigs at age 11 for being out past curfew. Now 72, Holley’s art is found all over the world, from The National Gallery to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Yet he still wakes at night with terrors. So does Mary Stephens, now 67 years old.

Still, Mary and Lonnie are, in many ways, the lucky ones. This podcast tells the story of countless former students who ended up on death row or serving life sentences. In particular, it focuses on Jesse James Andrews, who was sentenced to death for the grisly murder of three people in Los Angeles.

At its inception, Mt. Meigs seemed almost too good to be true — started by the daughter of an enslaved woman, the pride of Booker T. Washington, the place where Satchel Paige learned to play baseball. But soon, its vast potential was corrupted by the virulent racism of the state of Alabama. But despite its history of torture and abuse, Mt. Meigs remains open. Understanding what happened at institutions like Mt. Meigs is a critical part of reckoning with America’s past. That past lives on in contemporary law enforcement, education policy, and disproportionate violence against Black people. Guided by Josie Duffy Rice, “Unreformed: The Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children” tells the story of what really happened at Mt Meigs.

“Unreformed: The Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children” is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will debut January 18,2023. Listen to the official trailer now on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard. Click follow to be alerted when new episodes post.

About Josie Duffy Rice

Josie Duffy Rice is a journalist, writer, Harvard Law School graduate, and podcast host whose work is primarily focused on prosecutors, prisons, and other criminal justice issues.

Currently, she co-hosts of What a Day, Crooked Media’s daily news podcast. She is also the creator and co-host of the podcast Justice in America. Until May 2021, she was President of The Appeal, a news publication that publishes original journalism about the criminal justice system. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Slate, among others. She was a writer on the FX show The Premise. Josie was also a consulting producer for Campside Media’s Suspect, a #1 hit podcast and winner of a 2022 Ambie Award for Best True Crime Podcast. About Producer Gabbie Watts Gabbie Watts began her audio career as a DJ in college radio at WPRB Princeton. After graduating, she made her foray into public radio, producing daily arts and culture show "City Lights" at WABE Atlanta. She became a School of Humans podcast podcast producer in 2019 and has produced a variety of shows from true crime to history and hosted iHeart’s “Cadaver Gals.”

About Composer Ben Sollee

Kentuckian Ben Sollee is an Emmy Award-winning composer and musician. He has toured the globe as a cellist, songwriter, storyteller and bandleader, sometimes by bicycle, performing his original music. As a composer he has created music for stage, screen (Land with Robin Wright) , podcasts (Hell & Gone) and virtual reality apps. He earned an Emmy Award for his 2018 score for Base Ballet. As a producer, he has curated hundreds of live events including experiences for the Speed Art Museum and Lincoln Center. Throughout it all, he has continued to advocate for people and the land by creating and curating experiences that grow a greater sense of togetherness.

About School of Humans

School of Humans is a multi-platform production company producing series for television (Dirty Jobs, Stuff You Should Know). The company launched its audio division with the hit true crime podcast HELL AND GONE in 2018. The perennial top ten podcast is now in its fourth season, with over 15 million downloads to date. School of Humans Audio Holdings now boasts a slate of successful non-fiction titles distributed under a multi-year deal with iHeartMedia. Among them, Big Brother: North Korea’s Forgotten Prince (reaching #8 for History podcasts); Out of The Shadows: Children of ‘86 (with iHeart/My Cultura network); ASTRAY (debuted at #15 on national podcast charts); and RACKET (A Vulture “Best New True Crime Podcasts” pick). School of Humans’ first scripted podcast, Sisters of The Underground starring Dania Ramirez (X-Men, Sweet Tooth) and Judy Reyes (Succession, Scrubs) was produced in conjunction with My Cultura and Eva Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment.

Top financial app launches campaign across iHeartMedia’s multi platform network to educate parents about saving and investing for their kids’ future

LOS ANGELES, January 10, 2023 -- UNest, a leading fintech company that makes it easier than ever for parents to invest in their kids’ future, today announced a partnership with America’s leading audio company iHeartMedia. UNest will leverage iHeartMedia’s multiplatform capabilities and national reach to empower parents wanting to help their children with a strong financial head start and road map for the future.

“The opportunity to reach our audience of young parents on a national level is rarely available to fast-growing startups like UNest. That is why we are thrilled to join forces with the largest and most powerful audio platform in the country,” said Ksenia Yudina, founder and CEO of UNest. “UNest is a purpose-driven organization committed to changing the world for the better. Through this partnership we will reach millions of households that are looking for the guidance and tools to set their children on the path to financial success.”

The agreement between the two companies will allow UNest to leverage iHeartMedia’s expansive audio network which includes broadcast radio, podcast, digital, social, events, and marketing. The partnership, successfully launched in six regional markets as part of a pilot program, is now rolling out nationwide. The campaign seeks to educate expectant and young parents about the solutions available to ensure their children experience financial security and freedom.  

“We are always looking for more ways to bring value to our listeners and the communities we serve,” said Joe Robinson, President of Corporate Development and Ventures for iHeartMedia. “That’s why we’re excited to help build further brand awareness for UNest, a company whose mission is to champion a more inclusive financial system for Americans across the country.”

The partnership is a central part of UNest’s ongoing emphasis on increasing access for the 70% of Americans who lack awareness of tools to save and invest for major life milestones for their children. UNest’s app helps parents open tax-advantaged custodial accounts in less than five minutes. The money saved and invested in the account can be used by the parents for any child-related expenses such as college, a wedding, a first car or home. 

Since its market launch in 2020 UNest has helped over 500,000 parents and kids build a lasting financial legacy for their families. Through the app, parents manage an advisor-guided portfolio that can include both traditional ETF investments alongside selected cryptocurrencies. Parents can also invest in green funds, invite friends and family to contribute to their child’s account, and earn rewards from over 150 brands including Nike, DoorDash, Haven Life and Disney+.

About UNest

UNest is a purpose-driven fintech company empowering parents to invest and save for their kids’ future. Since launching in February of 2020, UNest has helped tens of thousands of families give their children a financial head-start and road map. Opening a UNest Investment Account for Kids requires no paperwork and takes just five minutes to set up through its award-winning app. UNest leadership team includes senior team members from MoneyLion, Marqeta, and Capital Group. The North Hollywood company is backed by leading investors including Anthos, The Artemis Fund, Franklin Templeton, Altair Capital, Launchpad Capital, OneWay Ventures, Unlock Venture Partners, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, Bitfury, and NBA All-Star Baron Davis. UNest is supported by a roster of celebrity brand ambassadors, such as Laura Dern and Hannah Simone, who share in the company’s mission. UNest Securities LLC is a FINRA registered broker-dealer. To learn more visit www.unest.co