True Crime Podcast

Join “RFK Tapes” Host William Klaber As He Uncovers The 50-Year-Old Murder Mystery into the Plot to Kill Dr. King - Premiering January 10

Listen To The Official Trailer Here

WHAT:  According to the official story, on April 4th, 1968, a lone gunman assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. That man, James Earl Ray, pled guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in prison and for most people, the case was closed. However, there is more to the story, including a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the King Family that concluded Martin Luther King’s death was the result of a conspiracy involving multiple groups, including government agencies. “The MLK Tapes,” a new true crime podcast from the creators of “Atlanta Monster” and “Monster: DC Sniper,” will explore never-before-heard details about what happened to King on the day of his death, with rare recordings of eye-witness testimonies and new interviews with people who were there to reveal the true story of the plot to kill Dr. King.

The series will be hosted by William (Bill) Klaber, an author, part-time journalist and co-host of the podcast “The RFK Tapes”, who has been investigating the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy since 1989. While working on “The RFK Tapes,” Klaber interviewed a man named Bill Pepper, who spent forty years investigating the assassination of his friend, Dr. King. Pepper’s decades-long investigation included recording witnesses on tape. They revealed what they saw, and in some cases, what they had done. When Klaber heard this audio it opened up another opportunity to expose the lies in a 50-year-old murder mystery using  secrets that had been hidden on tapes.

Many little known facts about the case will be explored in the series, including the original recordings of witnesses who heard, saw or did something on or around the day Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, as well as new interviews from William Pepper, James Lawson, Arthur Hanes Jr., Isaac Newton Farris Jr., Joseph Brown, and John Currington. In the first episodes alone, many listeners might be surprise to learn that: 

• April 4th, 1967: Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech at Riverside Church in New York City titled Beyond Vietnam.
  • “…I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today: my own government.” -MLK
• April 4th, 1968: A year (to the day) later, Martin Luther King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
• April, 1968: On MLK’s final visit to Memphis, the all black, 8-person security team that normally accompanied him was reassigned.
• 1969: James Earl Ray pled guilty to murdering Martin Luther King Jr. Three days later, he recanted the plea. He never confessed to the crime and the evidence against him was never tested in a trial by jury.
• 1993: HBO aired a mock-trial of James Earl Ray with real attorneys and a jury. The jury found Ray not guilty.
• 1999: A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the King Family concluded that Martin Luther King’s death was the result of a conspiracy involving multiple groups, including government agencies.
• The goal of this podcast is to bring additional information to light that has, until now, not been widely discussed.

WHO: “The MLK Tapes” is produced by iHeartMedia and Tenderfoot TV, and distributed by The iHeartPodcast Network. The series is hosted by William (Bill Klaber), an author, part-time journalist, and co-host of the podcast “The RFK Tapes.” Klaber is the coauthor of “Shadow Play: The Murder of Robert F. Kennedy” and author of the novel “The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell.”

WHEN + WHERE: “The MLK Tapes” premieres on Monday, January 10, 2022, with the first two episodes readily available. Following episodes will be released each Monday, and will be available on iHeartRadio and wherever you listen to podcasts.

ASSETS: 

• Cover art
• William Klaber headshot
• Official trailer
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About Tenderfoot TV

Founded by Atlanta director and independent filmmaker, Payne Lindsey, and music industry veteran, Donald Albright, Tenderfoot TV is a hub for creators and storytellers. The company launched in August 2016 with the release of the viral true crime podcast, “Up and Vanished”, which helped crack the decade-old cold case of missing person Tara Grinstead. Tenderfoot has since created multiple successful podcast franchises, including “Monster,” “Radio Rental,” “To Live and Die in LA,” and more, amassing over 650 million total downloads in just five years. Tenderfoot has partnered with major media companies, including HBO and Issa Rae’s label Raedio, iHeartRadio, Audible, Cadence13, and Netflix. They have expanded into TV and film, developing their IP for both fiction and nonfiction content. In 2020, Tenderfoot partnered with Oxygen to release a 6-part docu-series based on “Up and Vanished.” As one of the pioneer podcasts companies for Apple podcast subscriptions, they have ranked among the top performing channels with the release of Tenderfoot+, which offers listeners a seamless experience and greater access to their favorite shows.

Tenderfoot projects reflect a range of diversity across content to show genres. They launched their first political podcast ahead of the 2020 Georgia Senate runoffs, “Gaining Ground: The New Georgia,” and also have a satirical crime show that sheds light on social justice issues, their first scripted series titled “We Stay Looking.” The company has been recognized across the industry, winning numerous best in audio podcasting awards, including being a Pulitzer Prize finalist for ‘Audio Reporting’ in 2021 for “Somebody.” Founders Donald Albright, dubbed Atlanta’s Podcast Kingmaker” by Atlanta Magazine, and award winning creator Payne Lindsey, were ranked among the top ten “Most Powerful People in Podcasting” by Inside Radio, as well as named to the “Atlanta 500,” a list of the city’s “Most Powerful Leaders.” Tenderfoot continues to use their platform to raise the bar by telling compelling and important stories. No rules. No restrictions.

“The Dougherty Gang” debuts today kicking off iHeartMedia and KT-Studios production and content partnership

NEW YORK – September 20, 2021 – iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, today announced a new iHeartPodcast slate of true-crime shows in collaboration with KT-Studios, a full-service television production and podcast company. This announcement follows KT-Studios and iHeartMedia’s first venture together in the true-crime podcasting space, “The Piketon Massacre,” which received special notoriety for its second season becoming the No. 1 podcast across all categories with nearly 17 million listeners in the first few weeks of airing.

“iHeartMedia is excited to join forces with KT-Studios to co-produce this brilliant new slate of true-crime podcasts,” said Will Pearson, Chief Operating Officer for the iHeartPodcast Network. “We’ve seen incredible success with KT-Studios and are excited to offer listeners a full slate of new podcasts that delve into everything from unsolved murders to some of the most bizarre crimes in the name of love.”

The new slate will debut today with “The Dougherty Gang.” The explosive 12-episode limited series delves into the infamous story of three siblings in their 20s - two brothers and a sister - who notoriously went on an eight-day, fifteen-state, AK-47-wielding, bank-robbing journey in 2011. Executive produced by television creator, developer and producer Stephanie Lydecker, founder and President of KT Studios and Courtney Armstrong, Chief Creative Officer of KT-Studios. Lydecker and Armstrong, along with Vice President of Development Jeff Shane, produced the hit podcast “The Piketon Massacre,” the podcast recounts the complex circumstances that kicked off this crime spree, how they averted local, state and federal agents along the way, and later, tells of their lives in prison. Listeners can hear the first episode of “The Dougherty Gang” now on iHeartRadio and all major podcast listening platforms. New episodes will become available each Monday.

Additional shows set to join the new slate of podcasts will include:

• “Crazy in Love” - Hosted by a revolving stable of experts, “Crazy In Love” dives into the complex and contentious real-life stories of people who went to murderous lengths in the name of love. Romantic love, motherly, brotherly and sisterly love, bestie bonds and lusty love. Each week explores a new crime, told through a combination of interviews, news footage and narration. The 48-episode podcast features stories from across the country and is set to launch this November.
• “Death Island” - Listeners will become engrossed in the captivating details behind the mysterious deaths that have taken place on a beautiful vacation destination in Thailand. Tourists from all over the world visit for the pristine beaches and crystal clear water, but beneath the surface lies something sinister. Since 2006, at least 19 tourists have died mysteriously on the island. Theories on the causes have run the gamut from mafia rule to a serial killer family. One thing is certain: in this beautiful place, no coast is clear. The 12-episode limited-series podcast will debut first quarter of 2022.

“This true-crime slate is an exciting addition to the thriller podcast world,” said Stephanie Lydecker, CEO and founder of KT-Studios. “The shows dive into mysterious and untold true-crime stories that will leave listeners spooked and seeking more answers. The support from the iHeartMedia team has been nothing less than extraordinary and we’re thrilled to introduce these stories to loyal, true-crime listeners everywhere.”

All shows on the new slate will be distributed by The iHeartPodcast Network and will be available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.

About KT-Studios

KT Studios is a full-service development and production company specializing in creating, developing and producing innovative content for all platforms - including unscripted television, podcast, documentary film and other digital media. Our current series include: Injustice with Nancy Grace (Oxygen), The Piketon Family Murders (Oxygen), The Piketon Massacre Podcast (iHeartMedia), The Masked Singer Podcast (Fox) and more. Notably, The Piketon Massacre Podcast season 2 became the #1 podcast in the country and was lauded as one of the best podcasts of the year.

We have a variety of upcoming / yet to be announced projects including: multiple two-hour documentaries for streaming platforms, a true crime series for a major cable network, a five podcast deal for a total of 132 episodes and two new series for digital streaming networks. KT Studios is represented by WME.

New Podcast Episode Drops Every Thursday

LOS ANGELES, CA – Sept. 18, 2020 – Co-produced by iHeartRadio and HBO Max, THE MURDERS AT WHITE HOUSE FARM: THE PODCAST will launch on Thursday, September 24, the same day that the miniseries drops on the platform and can be heard on HBO Max, iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are available. The podcast, hosted by Lauren Bright Pacheco, will take a deeper look at the relationships, psychological motivations, and relevant cultural events that may have impacted the real-life murders portrayed in the series. New episodes will be released on Thursdays each week, concluding on October 29.

Pacheco will chat with the show’s creators, as well as with Carol Ann Lee, author of the book The Murders at White House Farm. Each episode of the podcast springboards off of a particular episode of the series to take a deeper dive into one of six nuanced themes that contributed to the disturbing nature of this surprisingly complicated case. In addition, the podcast will feature an interview with Colin Caffell, the father of the two young boys, who will speak about the murders for the last time publicly.

Visit https://www.hbomax.com/coming-soon/the-murders-at-white-house-farm for all available ways to listen. THE MURDERS AT WHITE HOUSE FARM: THE PODCAST is distributed through the iHeartPodcast Network.

THE MURDERS AT WHITE HOUSE FARM follows the infamous true crime story that took place over thirty years ago, when three generations of one family were murdered at their isolated farm. Initial evidence pointed the finger at the daughter of the family, who had a history of mental illness. However, one detective refused to accept this conclusion and decided to delve deeper into the investigation, where his determination uncovered new evidence that shed suspicion on another family member. THE MURDERS AT WHITE HOUSE FARM is a dramatized true crime story based on extensive research, interviews and published accounts, that explores the mystery behind what happened that fateful day.

THE MURDERS AT WHITE HOUSE FARM stars Freddie Fox, Stephen Graham, Mark Addy, Gemma Whelan, Alexa Davies and Mark Stanley. 

Produced by New Pictures, the series is written by Kris Mrksa and Giula Sandler and directed by Paul Whittington.  It is executive produced by Willow Grylls, Charlie Pattinson, Elaine Pyke and Kris Mrksa and produced by Lee Thomas.

About HBO Max

HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering, which debuted May 27, 2020. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content, HBO Max offers powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed programs and movies, and fan favorites from WarnerMedia’s rich library including motion picture and TV series from Warner Bros., highlights from New Line, and catalog titles from DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. 

Website: HBOMax.com

About WarnerMedia

WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).

Nancy Grace’s Popular Slate of Crime Podcasts to Now Reach Millions of New Listeners on the iHeartPodcast Network

NEW YORK – February 20, 2020 – Nancy Grace, legal commentator, former prosecutor and acclaimed television journalist, joins iHeartMedia, the No.1 commercial podcast publisher world-wide, to bring “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace,” the highly popular true-crime daily podcast where Grace takes listeners inside breaking crime and justice news, to the iHeartPodcast Network. In addition, Grace and iHeartMedia will also debut “Killers Amongst Us,” a new weekly iHeartRadio Original true-crime podcast where Grace investigates the most notorious murders and ongoing unsolved cases in the search for justice. The official trailer for “Killers Amongst Us” is now available for listeners on iHeartRadio.

“I’m thrilled to bring ‘Crime Stories’ and the all-new ‘Killers Amongst Us’ podcast to the iHeartPodcast Network,” said Grace. “On ‘Crime Stories’ we cover critical cases from across the country in real time, many involving unsolved homicides and missing people, especially children that need our help now. Joining forces with iHeartMedia, we will reach a an even greater number of listeners who may be able to provide vital information and can remind them that it only takes that one clue to crack a case.”

Now in its third year, “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” has gained enormous popularity, becoming a must-hear crime podcast with nearly 4 million downloads in January of 2020 alone and over 53 million downloads since its January 2017 initial launch. Hosted by Grace, each 45-minute daily episode features her investigative reporting of the most pressing breaking crime news of the day featuring noted experts as well as police, investigators, reporters, witnesses and major players in the investigations. In addition, Grace’s companion show “Crime Alert,” a daily one-minute breaking news-cast giving listeners real-time crime updates, also joins the iHeartPodcast Network.

In the new iHeartRadio Original Podcast “Killers Amongst Us,” Grace takes on a new mystery each month, examining and interpreting clues left behind. Episodes will feature guests including the victim’s family members, case investigators and local reporters who provide their own unique insights to go behind the crimes. The first case uncovers evidence behind the heart-wrenching case of Long Island jogger, Karina Vetrano, who was stalked, attacked, sex assaulted and murdered at Spring Creek Park, Howard Beach. “Killers Amongst Us” reopens the unsolved disappearance of a young Florida woman, Jennifer Kesse, barrista Samantha Koenig, pregnant mom Belinda Temple, college student Sarah Stern and more.

“‘Killers Amongst Us’ is an all-new concept, utilizing cutting edge forensic analysis, techniques, and modern-day detective work,” said Grace. “We believe that combining iHeart and ‘Crime Stories’ along with listeners will help solve cases and save lives. Please, join the investigation.”

Listen to “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” and “Crime Alert” now and follow the podcast on iHeartRadio to be alerted when new episodes are available. Weekly episodes of “Killers Amongst Us” debuts on March 17th though the iHeartPodcast Network and will be available every Tuesday on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are available. To learn more about the podcasts visit: iHeart.com

About Nancy Grace

Nancy Grace is an award-winning legal commentator, victims’ rights advocate, broadcast journalist, and New York Times bestselling author of four books. Nancy Grace headlines Oxygen’s Injustice with Nancy Grace, hosts Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, a daily podcast and radio show airing on SIRIUS XM’s Triumph Channel 111, and appears regularly on ABC’s 20/20, Nightline, Dr. Oz and on Daily Mail TV. She is also the founder and publisher of CrimeOnline.com, a digital platform that investigates breaking crime news, spreads awareness of missing people and shines a light on cold cases. Previously, she was the force behind CNN Headline News’ (HLN) top-rated Nancy Grace. Nancy also executive produces a Hallmark Movies and Mysteries franchise based on her bestselling novels, Hailey Dean Mysteries.

iHeartMedia and Masterworked Media Team up to Bring Season Two of the Hit Scripted

“True Crime” Podcast to Millions of New Listeners

Kevin Pollak and Patton Oswalt Join Returning Stars Joe Manganiello, Constance Zimmer, Alfred Molina and Others for Season Two

LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK – November 26, 2019 – iHeartMedia, the No.1 commercial podcast publisher globally, and Masterworked Media creators Ryan Martz and Oliver Vaquer team up to bring season two of “The Angel of Vine,” the hit scripted mystery podcast starring Joe Manganiello, Constance Zimmer and Alfred Molina to the iHeartPodcast Network. Season two is set to launch Spring 2020. Listeners can binge all of season one now on iHeartRadio and everywhere else podcasts are available.

 “The Angel of Vine” tells the story of a present-day journalist who uncovers the audio tapes of a 1950s private investigator, voiced by Joe Manganiello, who cracked the greatest unsolved murder mystery Hollywood has ever seen – known as The Angel of Vine – and kept it a secret. Season two will pick up where season one left off, bringing listeners back in time to 1959, Palm Springs, California, with another victim, new suspects and clues that lead back to The Angel of Vine.

“I absolutely cannot wait to dust off Hank’s recorder and reunite with the Angel of Vine team to see what twisted mayhem Oliver and Ryan have in store for us for season two,” said Manganiello, star of ‘The Angel of Vine.’ “I loved working on season one and was thrilled by the overwhelmingly positive response and hunger for more adventures in this rich and addictive world.”

“The Angel of Vine” features the one of the largest celebrity casts in an audio drama to date and since its season one launch, has attracted an impressive fan base that has attributed to its more than one million downloads. In season two, actors Kevin Pollak and Patton Oswalt will join the star-studded cast, one as a greedy land developer and the other as well-connected informant from the seedy underground of Palm Springs. The first season included actors Joe Manganiello (“True Blood”), Alan Tudyk (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), Alfred Molina (“Feud”), Constance Zimmer (“House of Cards”), Khary Payton (“The Walking Dead”), Mike Colter (“Evil”), Misha Collins (“Supernatural”), Cree Summer (“Queen Sugar”), Oliver Vaquer (“Jane the Virgin”) and Camilla Luddington (“Grey’s Anatomy”) – many of which will return for season two.

"We wanted to make a scripted podcast that was engaging and entertaining,” said Ryan Martz, co-founder of Masterworked Media. “We collaborated with an ensemble of incredibly talented actors and sound designers to make that possible. It was also important to us to make it appealing to the non-fiction listeners in a format that they’d recognize. After launching ‘The Angel of Vine’ independently, we’re thrilled to join the iHeartPodcast family for our second season. It’s exciting to have such great partners that can introduce our podcast to a whole new audience.” 

“Working with the Masterworked team on ‘The Angel of Vine’ is incredibly exciting for me as a fan of great stories,” said Holly Frey, Podcast Lead Executive Producer for iHeartMedia. “In a time when true crime is all the rage in podcasting, they take that idea in a new direction through fiction to craft a finely tuned narrative that is scary and revelatory, but always engaging and one of the best scripted podcasts in the industry. The cast is spectacular, and the podcast has gained a massive following because of their performances and the show’s haunting story — it’s something that people want to binge. I feel so honored to work on bringing this title to the iHeartPodcast Network and really fortifying our fiction offerings with more quality content.”

iHeartRadio is available on more than 250 platforms and 2,000 different connected devices — including smart speakers, digital auto dashes, tablets, wearables, smartphones, virtual assistants, televisions and gaming consoles. Visit iHeart.com/apps to download the iHeartRadio app and listen to season one of “The Angel of Vine” on your favorite device now. 

About Masterworked Media

Masterworked Media was founded as a podcast production studio by Oliver Vaquer and Ryan Martz. Created out of their mutual love of storytelling and shared experience in the voice over world, they independently produced The Angel of Vine with the goal of creating quality scripted audio content with an ensemble of incredibly talented actors and sound designers.

“The Daily,” “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Stuff You Should Know,” 

“My Favorite Murder,” “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend,” “Revisionist History,” 

“The Ron Burgundy Podcast,” “The Dropout,” “The Shrink Next Door” and 

“The Read” Nominated for Best Podcast of the Year 

NEW YORK – November 12, 2019 – iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally, today announced the nominees for the 2020 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards on Friday, January 17 at 8 p.m. PT held at the iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles. Fans across the country will also be able to tune in to the second annual live awards event via a LiveXLive stream and on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide. The event will honor the most entertaining and innovative podcasts of 2019 and will span 30 categories, celebrating the incredible talent and wide variety of leaders across the booming podcasting industry. 

Podcasts nominated for Best Podcast of the Year include “The Daily,” “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Stuff You Should Know,” “My Favorite Murder,” “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend,” “Revisionist History,” “The Ron Burgundy Podcast,” “The Dropout,” “The Shrink Next Door” and “The Read.” Additional nominees include podcasts from all creators, distributors and platforms with a panel of blue-ribbon podcast industry leaders, creatives and visionaries determining the winners across categories including Music, Comedy, Crime, News, Sports & Recreation, Food, Business & Finance and more. Podcast fans themselves will once again decide the winner of the “Best Podcast of the Year” award through social voting on Twitter now through January 10. More information can be found at iHeartPodcastAwards.com.

In addition, the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards will present three Icon Awards to pay tribute to the creators, organizations and podcasts that have made groundbreaking contributions to podcasting’s expanding role in today’s popular culture. The winners for the 2020 Pioneer Award, Social Impact Award and Innovator Award will be announced at a later date.

Last year’s winners of the inaugural iHeartRadio Podcast Awards included Slate’s “Slow Burn” for Podcast of the Year; “Up and Vanished” for Best Crime Podcast; “The Joe Rogan Experience” for Best Comedy Podcast; Marc Smerling, host of “Crimetown” and “The RFK Tapes,” for Podcast Innovator; “Fantasy Footballers” for Best Sports Podcast; and Dax Shepard and Monica Padman of “Armchair Expert with Dax Shephard” for Breakout Podcast of the Year, among many other categories and winners. The 2019 event featured appearances by award nominees, celebrity presenters and other special guests including Mike Tyson, Dax Shepard, Jillian Michaels, Jana Kramer, Topher Grace, Dr. Drew, Becca Tilley, Scheana Shay, Dean Unglert, Vanessa Grimaldi, Jake Brennan, Charlamagne Tha God, Holly Frey and more. NPR was also honored with the first-ever iHeartRadio Podcast Pioneer Award. 

This year’s category finalists (by alphabetical order) are:

Best Podcast of the Year (Socially Voted Category)

• “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” (Team Coco & Earwolf) 
• “My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark” (Exactly Right) 
• “Revisionist History” (Pushkin Industries) 
• “Stuff You Should Know” (iHeartRadio) 
• “The Daily” (The New York Times) 
• “The Dropout” (ABC News) 
• “The Joe Rogan Experience” (Independent) 
• “The Read” (Loud Speakers Network) 
• “The Ron Burgundy Podcast” (iHeartRadio) 
• “The Shrink Next Door” (Wondery/Bloomberg) 

Best Comedy Podcast

• “Comedy Bang Bang” (Earwolf & Scott Aukerman)
• “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” (Team Coco & Earwolf)
• “My Dad Wrote A Porno” (Independent) 
• “The 85 South Show” (Independent) 
• “The Joe Rogan Experience” (Independent) 
• “The Read” (Loud Speakers Network) 
• “The Ron Burgundy Podcast” (iHeartRadio) 

Best Crime Podcast

• “Crime Junkie” (audiochuck) 
• “Hit Man” (iHeartRadio) 
• “Man In The Window” (L.A. Times/Wondery) 
• “Root of Evil” (TNT & Cadence 13) 
• “The Clearing” (Pineapple Street Media/Gimlet) 
• “The Shrink Next Door” (Wondery/Bloomberg) 
• “White Lies" (NPR) 

Best Music Podcast

• “All Songs Considered” (NPR) 
• “Bobbycast” (iHeartRadio) 
• “Broken Record with Malcolm Gladwell, Rick Rubin, and Bruce Headlam” (Pushkin Industries) 
• “DISGRACELAND” (iHeartRadio) 
• “expediTIously with Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris” (PodcastOne) 
• “Song Exploder” (Radiotopia) 
• “Sound Opinions” (WBEZ Chicago) 

Best News Podcast

• “Pod Save The World” (Crooked Media) 
• “Post Reports” (The Washington Post) 
• “The Daily Zeitgeist” (iHeartRadio) 
• “The Daily” (The New York Times) 
• “The Journal” (The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet) 
• “Today, Explained” (Vox) 
• “Up First” (NPR) 

Best Sports & Recreation Podcast

• “30 For 30” (ESPN) 
• “Fantasy Footballers” (Independent) 
• “Knuckleheads” (The Players' Tribune) 
• “Pardon My Take” (Barstool Sports) 
• “Sports Wars” (Wondery) 
• “The Bill Simmons Podcast” (The Ringer) 
• “The Herd w/ Colin Cowherd” (iHeartRadio & FOX Sports Radio) 

Best Overall Host - Male

• Aaron Mahnke (iHeartRadio) 
• Bill Simmons (The Ringer) 
• Glynn Washington (WNYC) 
• Jonathan Van Ness (Earwolf / Stitcher) 
• Malcolm Gladwell (Pushkin Industries) 
• Marc Maron (Independent) 
• Roman Mars (Radiotopia) 

Best Overall Host - Female

• Amanda Seales (Starburns Audio)
• Anna Sale (WNYC) 
• Holly Frey (iHeartRadio) 
• Jenna Wortham (The New York Times) 
• Kelly McEvers (NPR) 
• Nora McInerny (American Public Media) 
• Rachel Maddow (MSNBC) 

 Best Business & Finance Podcast

• “Business Wars” (Wondery) 
• “How I Built This with Guy Raz” (NPR) 
• “Marketplace” (American Public Media) 
• “The Chris Hogan Show” (Ramsey Network) 
• “The Indicator from Planet Money” (NPR) 

Best Pop Culture Podcast

• “The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast” (iHeartRadio) 
• “Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe” (PodcastOne) 
• “Pop Culture Happy Hour” (NPR) 
• “Talk Is Jericho” (Westwood One) 
• “The Breakfast Club” (iHeartRadio) 

Best Food Podcast

• “Doughboys” (HeadGum/Doughboys Media) 
• “Gastropod” (Independent) 
• “The Splendid Table” (American Public Media) 
• “The Dave Chang Show” (The Ringer & Majordomo Media) 
• “The Sporkful” (Dan Pashman & Stitcher) 

 Best Wellness & Fitness Podcast

• “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” (Gretchen Rubin/The Onward Project) 
• “Last Day” (Lemonada Media) 
• “Life Kit” (NPR) 
• “Therapy For Black Girls” (Independent) 
• “Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel” (Esther Perel Global Media/Gimlet) 

Best History Podcast

• “1619” (The New York Times) 
• “Lore” (Independent) 
• “Mobituaries with Mo Rocca” (CBS) 
• “Revisionist History” (Pushkin Industries) 
• “Stuff You Missed In History Class” (iHeartRadio) 

Best Kids & Family Podcast

• “#MOMTRUTHS with Cat & Nat” (Independent) 
• “Brains On!” (American Public Media) 
• “Story Pirates” (Gimlet) 
• “The Longest Shortest Time” (Stitcher) 
• “Wow In The World” (NPR)

Best Fiction Podcast

• “Blackout” (Endeavor Audio & QCODE) 
• “Carrier” (QCODE) 
• “Limetown” (Two-Up) 
• “Passenger List” (Radiotopia) 
• “Welcome To Night Vale” (Night Vale Presents) 

 Best Science Podcast

• “Hidden Brain” (NPR) 
• “Invisibilia” (NPR) 
• “Science Vs” (Gimlet) 
• “StarTalk Radio” (Independent) 
• “Stuff To Blow Your Mind” (iHeartRadio) 

Best Technology Podcast

• “TechStuff” (iHeartRadio) 
• “This Week In Tech” (Independent) 
• “Reply All” (Gimlet) 
• “Recode Decode” (Recode) 
• “Vergecast” (The Verge) 

Best Ad Read 

• “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard” (Armchair Umbrella) 
• “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” (Team Coco & Earwolf)
• “Pod Save America” (Crooked Media) 
• “Revisionist History” (Pushkin Industries) 
• “The Ron Burgundy Podcast” (iHeartRadio) 

Best Political Podcast

• “Intercepted” (The Intercept) 
• “NPR Politics” (NPR) 
• “Pod Save The People” (Crooked Media) 
• “Political Gabfest” (Slate) 
• “The Ben Shapiro Show” (The Daily Wire) 

Best TV & Film Podcast

• “Binge Mode” (The Ringer) 
• “How Did This Get Made?” (Earwolf) 
• “Rewatchables” (The Ringer & Bill Simmons) 
• “Straight Up with Stassi” (Radio.com) 
• “The Bechdel Cast” (iHeartRadio)

 Best Spanish Language Podcast

• “El Cine De LoQueYoTeDiga” (LoQueYoTeDiga) 
• “El Show de Piolín” (Eduardo “Piolín” Sotelo | reVolver Podcasts) 
• “Nadie Sabe Nada” (Cadena SER) 
• “Radio Ambulante” (NPR) 
• “TED en Español” (TED) 

Best Advice/Inspirational Podcast

• “Call Her Daddy” (Barstool Sports) 
• “Dear Prudence” (Slate) 
• “Death, Sex & Money” (WNYC)
• “Life Kit” (NPR) 
• “Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations” (OWN) 
• “Terrible, Thanks For Asking” (American Public Media) 
• “Why Won't You Date Me? with Nicole Byer” (HeadGum) 

Best Beauty & Fashion Podcast

• “Dressed: The History of Fashion” (iHeartRadio) 
• “Fat Mascara (At Will Media) 
• “Forever35” (Independent) 
• “Naked Beauty” (Independent) 
• “The Cut On Tuesdays” (Gimlet) 

 Best Travel Podcast

• “On She Goes” (Independent) 
• “Overheard at National Geographic” (National Geographic) 
• “She Explores” (She Explores) 
• “The Wild” (KUOW) 
• “Travel with Rick Steves” (Independent) 

Best Spirituality & Religion Podcast

• “A Little Juju Podcast” (Independent) 
• “Almost 30” (Independent) 
• “Elevation with Steven Furtick” (Elevation Church) 
• “On Being with Krista Tippett” (On Being Studios) 
• “The Joel Osteen Podcast” (Independent) 

Best Green Podcast

• “Climate One” (The Commonwealth Club) 
• “Drilled” (Critical Frequency) 
• “Sustainability Defined” (Independent) 
• “Terrestrial” (KUOW News and Information) 
• “Warm Regards” (Independent) 

Best Branded Podcast

• “Camp Monsters” (REI Co-Op) 
• “Going Through It” (MailChimp) 
• “NBC’s Songland” (NBC) 
• “Spit” (23&Me) 
• “Trained” (Nike) 

The 2020 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards is part of iHeartMedia’s roster of incredibly successful, nationally recognized events including the iHeartRadio Music Awards, the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the nationwide iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Concert Tour, iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, iHeartCountry Festival, iHeartRadio ALTer Ego and iHeartRadio Wango Tango. 

Select category winners will be announced during the live show and stream filled with unique celebrations at the iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles. For more information visit iHeartPodcastAwards.com.

Executive producers for the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards are John Sykes, Tom Poleman and Conal Byrne for iHeartMedia and Augie Max Vargas. 

Cavalry Media to co-develop TV show based on podcast

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES – May 21, 2019 – iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher, and Einhorn’s Epic Productions (“EEP”), an entertainment creative house that builds heroic franchise intellectual property, today announced season two of the iHeartRadio Original hit scripted-podcast “Lethal Lit: A Tig Torres Mystery.” Season two will launch as part of the iHeartPodcast Network and will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard beginning next winter.

Debuted in October 2018, the initial six-part season of “Lethal Lit” was the first scripted podcast for both iHeartMedia and EEP and was a first among Young Adult (YA) targeted podcasts in the industry. The podcastfollows teen detective Tig Torres as she returns to her small hometown of Hollow Falls, where her aunt was framed as a serial killer ten years earlier. Through her “true crime” podcast, “Lethal Lit,” and with help from her new friends from the school paper, Oly, Wyn, and Max, Tig explores the mystery of the twisted Lit Killer murders. 

“We’re excited about the emergence of the audio drama in the podcast space,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “There’s nothing more powerful than the theater of the mind and there aren’t many mediums that can inspire it like fictional podcasts. We’re strong believers in this genre and couldn’t be more excited to support one of its pioneers in the Einhorn team and ‘Lethal Lit.’”

Additionally, Cavalry Media acquired the rights to co-develop “Lethal Lit” for television with EEP while the second season starts development. Jennifer Preston Bosari, VP Development at Cavalry Media, is set to oversee along with Einhorn, CCO Adam Staffaroni and Aroop Sanakkayala from EEP.

Dana Brunetti, Cavalry Media’s Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer, said “Following the first season of "Lethal Lit" and it's enormous success as a YA podcast, we love that audiences clearly want more of Tig Torres, and we are excited to be partnered with EEP to bring this original heroic female franchise to television.”  

The series was co-created by Einhorn and Staffaroni of EEP with writers Alex Segura (Pete Fernandez Miami MysteryNovels, Archie Comics) and Monica Gallagher (Assassin Roommate). The first season cast was led by voice over actress Rebecca Soler and directed by JB Blanc. Notably, Lethal Lit hit No. 4 on the Apple Podcast charts and was the only scripted podcast featured on the NY Times list of “Five Great Podcasts of 2018.”The second season will be produced by Einhorn, Staffaroni, Sanakkayala and iHeartMedia. Further script details and casting for season two will be released in the coming months. 

“We were overwhelmed with the response from the first season of the podcast and can’t wait to start on the second season with iHeartMedia,” said Heather Einhorn, CEO of EEP and co-creator of “Lethal Lit.” “And, to be working with the team at Cavalry to bring Tig and Hollow Falls to TV is such an honor.” 

iHeartRadio is available on more than 250 platforms and over 2,000 different connected devices — including smart speakers, digital auto dashes, tablets, wearables, smartphones, virtual assistants, televisions, gaming consoles and more. Visit iHeart.com/apps to download iHeartRadio and listen to “Lethal Lit” on your favorite device now.

About Einhorn’s Epic Productions


As an entertainment creative house, Einhorn’s Epic Productions builds heroic franchise IP for today’s ever-changing media marketplace. Focusing on underserved fandoms, EEP creates story IP to live in both traditional and non-traditional platforms like film, television, graphic novels, podcasts, immersive experiences, digital content and more. Recently, EEP developed and produced iHeart Radio’s first scripted podcast series, Lethal Lit: A Tig Torres Mystery, which debuted on all major podcast platforms October 2018. EEP’s unique collaborative approach, strengthened by their team of fandom experts, creates opportunities for new and unexpected partnerships to successfully launch the next generation of franchise character IP.

Total Series Downloads Climb To 60 Million

WHO: An iHeartRadio Original True Crime Investigative Podcast, “Monster: The Zodiac Killer,”  created and co-produced by Tenderfoot TV.

Matt Frederick, host of “Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know”, narrates the podcast, while Payne Lindsey, Tenderfoot TV co-founder and “Atlanta Monster” host, serves as an executive producer and lends his voice to the series.

WHAT: "Monster: The Zodiac Killer,” the season two follow up to hit true-crime podcast “Atlanta Monster,” has unveiled numbers from the current season:

· 12+ million downloads of season two in just two months

· Series downloads total more than 60 million

· Season two downloads average more than one million per episode

· “Monster: The Zodiac Killer” was No. 1 on the Apple Podcast Charts during launch week

WHEN:“Monster: The Zodiac Killer” premiered January 2, 2019 on the iHeartPodcast Network. The second season of the podcast will total 15 episodes, with a new episode
premiering weekly. The finale will be on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.

WHERE: Listen on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.

ASSETS: "Monster: The Zodiac Killer” press assets:

·         Cover Art

·         One Sheet

About Tenderfoot TV

Founded by Atlanta director and independent filmmaker, Payne Lindsey, and music industry veteran, Donald Albright, Tenderfoot TV is a hub for content creators and storytellers. The company launched in August 2016 with the release of the viral true crime podcast “Up and Vanished” and has since created projects that include number one hit podcast, “Atlanta Monster” as well as “Sworn.” Together these podcasts have amassed nearly 300 million downloads in total, with seasons 1 and 2 of “Up and Vanished” making up over 250 million of those downloads and the number one podcasts “Atlanta Monster” and “Sworn” making up over 35 million and 10 million respectively. Tenderfoot TV recently launched “To Live and Die in L.A.,” hosted by bestselling author, Neil Strauss. Additionally, Tenderfoot transitioned into the television space with several projects in development as well as a docu-series based on “Up and Vanished” that premiered on Oxygen Nov. 18, 2018. Tenderfoot strives to tell compelling stories that forge a deeper level of connection and engagement with the audience. No rules. No restrictions.

NEW YORK - February 20, 2018 - Jake Brennan, host and producer of the rock and roll true crime podcast "Disgraceland", and iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally with over 20,000 podcasts on its platform, today announced at the Winter Podcast Upfront a new partnership to bring listeners two additional seasons of “Disgraceland” to the iHeartPodcast Network. Season 3 will feature 10 episodes and will debut everywhere March 14 with part one of a two-part episode on Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, part two will follow on March 19. Subsequent new episodes will be released bi-weekly on Tuesdays beginning March 26 with an episode on Snoop Dogg. In addition, “Disgraceland” will debut the Season 3 premiere first on iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations across the U.S. on March 13 before it’s available digitally on March 14. Fans can check out the official trailer for “Disgraceland” Season 3 now here.

"I can’t wait for ‘Disgraceland’ listeners to hear Season 3,” said Host and Creator Jake Brennan. “They can expect more of the same highly entertaining stories from the seedy underbelly of rock and roll past and present, but with a whole new cast of characters: Kurt and Courtney, Ike and Tina, Johnny Cash and Amy Winehouse to name a few. More death, self-destruction, scandal, amazing music and pre-set mellotron loops.”

The partnership will also include a new slate of iHeartRadio Original podcasts led by Brennan set to be released later this year. Two of the originals include “Rocka Rolla,” a serialized version of Disgraceland with a 10-episode arc on the madness and genius of Phil Spector, and “The 27 Club,” a new anthology series that will explore the lives of rock stars who died mysteriously at the age of 27. The new slate of shows will be hosted by Brennan and co-produced by iHeartRadio in the style of “Disgraceland.”

"Partnering with iHeart allows me to expand the show and the Disgraceland Universe. The primary feedback that I’ve received from listeners since launching was, in a word, ‘MORE!’ More episodes, more stories, more ‘Disgraceland’,” explained Brennan. “Through this new partnership with iHeart, I now have the resources to expand the length of each episode and to invest the time and energy needed to produce other podcast series that will maintain the same high level of production as ‘Disgraceland’ while exploring similar subject matter.”

“Today’s listeners have an insatiable appetite for true crime and music, and ‘Disgraceland’ perfectly blends the two together offering listeners suspense through an engaging scripted series,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “We are excited to be partnering with Jake on both the launch of the next two seasons of ‘Disgraceland’ and also a slate of new iHeartRadio Originals, introducing entertaining new content to listeners across the country.”

Last year, Variety named “Disgraceland” “One of the 10 Best Music Podcasts” and called it the “rock ‘n’ roll version of the Peabody Award-winning Serial,” while Thrillist named it “One of the Best New Podcasts of 2018” and said, “Brennan’s voice is soothing and articulate, and he delivers nuggets of lesser-known information with the confidence and clarity of a creator who clearly loves what he’s doing.”

With iHeartRadio, listeners can enjoy their music and podcasts across more than 250 unique device platforms including in-car, in-home, on wearables, across gaming consoles and more – making their favorite audio content available everywhere they are, on the devices they use most. Visit iHeart.com/appsto download iHeartRadio and listen to “Disgraceland” on your favorite device now.

DisGraceLand Season 3 Trailer from Jeremy Fraga on Vimeo.

About Disgraceland

Disgraceland is a true-crime podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. It is hosted and produced by Jake Brennan. Thirty minute episodes that trace the most insane criminal stories surrounding our most interesting and infamous pop stars.

The iHeartRadio Original scripted podcast series for teens debuts October 29 with two episodes

NEW YORK – October 15, 2018 – iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally with more than 20,000 podcasts available on its platform, and Einhorn’s Epic Productions (“EEP”), an entertainment creative house that builds heroic franchise intellectual property, today gave a first look into Lethal Lit, an iHeartRadio Original scripted mystery podcast, with the release of the official trailer. Lethal Lit will debut October 29 with two episodes and subsequent episodes will air each Monday. Listeners can hear the official trailer here.

Lethal Lit is a six-episode scripted podcast that follows teen detective Tig Torres as she returns to her small hometown of Hollow Falls where her aunt was framed as a serial killer ten years ago. Tig explores the mystery of the Lit Killer murders, each based on a murder from classic literature, and documents her findings on her own true crime podcast. But as she gets closer to the truth, the killings begin all over again — with her as the final target.

“We announced the debut of Lethal Lit back in May and we can’t wait to see how this unique podcast is received when it’s released on October 29th,” said Chris Peterson, Executive Vice President of Podcasting at iHeartMedia. “There’s never been a more exciting time for podcasting than now and I speak for the entire team when I say we are absolutely delighted and energized by the potential and opportunity in this space. Lethal Lit introduces a new podcast format and audience for us, and it’s just the beginning of our larger effort to expand and diversify the types of shows iHeartRadio will offer.”

Rebecca Soler will play the lead role of Tig Torres — a strong, smart, independent Cuban-American teen detective who is fascinated by classic literature and true crime. Additional voices to be played by JB Blanc, Matt Gumley, Paul Guyet, Jennifer Jiles, Rachel Oremland, Alba Ponce de Leon, Luke Slattery and Shelly Shenoy. Heather Einhorn, Adam Staffaroni, Alex Segura and Monica Gallagher co-created the series with each episode written by Segura and Gallagher; directed by JB Blanc; and produced by Einhorn, Staffaroni and Aroop Sanakkayala for EEP, Segura and Gallagher, and Sandy Smallens and Chris Peterson for iHeartMedia.

“Creating Lethal Lit has been an amazing experience” said Heather Einhorn, CEO of EEP, “The young adult podcast audience has been largely overlooked, so we’re especially excited to bring a strong, female heroic character to life in this exciting new format.” 

iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s all-in-one digital music, podcast, on demand and live streaming radio service, is partnered with all major podcast publishers ranging from NPR and WNYC to ESPN and Gimlet.  iHeartMedia also recently acquired Stuff Media, LLC, the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content, which includes the HowStuffWorks podcasting business. With iHeartRadio, listeners can enjoy their music and podcasts side-by-side across more than 250 unique platforms including in-car, in-home, on wearables, across gaming consoles and more – making their favorite audio content available everywhere they are, on the devices they use most. Visit iHeart.com/apps to download iHeartRadio and listen to podcasts on your favorite device.

Lethal Lit is part of the iHeartRadio Podcast Network.