podcasts

The 10-episode show co-produced by iHeartMedia and Fatherly explores the legacy and teachings of Mister Rogers

NEW YORK - October 22, 2019 - iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally, and Fatherly today debuted a new iHeartRadio Original podcast, “Finding Fred.” The show digs into the deep and simple language of Mister Rogers to uncover his very adult lessons about how to build a meaningful life. The 10-episode podcast is hosted by New York Times bestselling author, memoirist and award-winning podcaster Carvell Wallace, and launches today. The show is co-produced by iHeartMedia and Fatherly, in partnership with Transmitter Media, and will be distributed through the iHeartPodcast Network.

“Finding Fred” reintroduces an adult audience to Fred Rogers, who is best known as the presenter on a beloved childhood show but was also an important American thinker with a profound and radical worldview. Episodes feature interviews with people whose lives were changed by Fred Rogers, and people who got close enough to understand precisely what motivated this remarkably determined man. Biographical details sprinkled throughout help listeners understand how Rogers arrived at fascinating insights into topics as varied as power, faith, responsibility, and citizenship.

Featured throughout the series are the voices of prominent writers and thinkers like Ashley C. Ford, Eve Ewing and W. Kamau Bell, investigative journalist Cristof Putzel, TV critic David Bianculli, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood cast member Francois Clemmons, Fred's biographer Maxwell King, and producers who worked with Fred for 30+ years – as well as archival material courtesy of Fred Rogers Productions.

“Mister Rogers has had a huge impact on an entire generation of children. As this generation becomes parents, raising children of their own, it’s important to discuss how his words and ideas are still relevant today,” said host Carvell Wallace.

“‘Finding Fred’ dives into the core of how we can all be better neighbors to one another. Working with iHeartRadio on this project allows us to create a podcast that will spread widely across a generation looking to reconnect with a true American legend,” said Fatherly Chief Content Officer Andrew Burmon. “There’s no such thing as outgrowing Mister Rogers.”

“Podcasting is an intimate medium that allows listeners to directly connect with a show’s content,” said Conaly Byrne, Head of Podcasting at iHeartRadio. “Working with Fatherly on this project has resulted in a truly authentic and meaningful final product that brings listeners back into the world of Fred Rogers.”

Listeners can listen to “Finding Fred” now on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are found.

About Carvell Wallace

Carvell Wallaceis a New York Times Bestselling author, memoirist, and award-winning podcaster who covers race, arts, culture, film and music for a wide variety of news outlets. He is a regular longform contributor to the New York Times Magazine. In 2019 Wallace published The Sixth Man, co-written with Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala. He is currently co-writing book with the rapper Meek Mill on the topic of criminal justice, and his own memoir on childhood trauma and recovery is due out in 2021. Wallace co-hosted the Slate Parenting Advice podcast Mom and Dad are Fighting, and his 2017 narrative biographical podcast for Al Jazeera, Closer Than They Appear, explored race in America through a combination of interview and memoir.

About Fatherly

Fatherlyis the leading digital media brand for dads. Founded in 2015, Fatherly’s mission is to empower men to raise great kids and to lead more fulfilling adult lives. To accomplish this goal, Fatherlyworks with talented journalists and leading researchers to uncover stories for and provide expert advice to eight million monthly readers.

About Transmitter Media

Transmitter Media is an award-winning creative podcasting company specializing in highly edited and beautifully sound-designed work that has reached tens of millions of listeners worldwide. Their work includes the Webby-winning “Six Who Sat” episode of 30 for 30, WorkLife with Adam Grant, The Argument, The Barneys Podcast with Noor Tagouri, Tabloid and Finding Fred.

As Announced During His Historic Late-Night Show Appearances Thursday Evening

“The Ron Burgundy Podcast,” Co-Produced by iHeartRadio and Funny Or Die, Kicks off Season 2 Today with Guest Sen. Kamala Harris

NEW YORK– August 9, 2019 – Legendary news/podcaster Ron Burgundy and iHeartRadio, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally, today launched season two of arguably the best podcast ever, “The Ron Burgundy Podcast,” as announced during his historic late-night show appearances Thursday evening. The premiere episode of season two will debut today with democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris. “The Ron Burgundy Podcast” is an iHeartRadio Original Podcast co-produced with Funny Or Die.  

Season one of “The Ron Burgundy Podcast” has attracted a wide fan-base of Ron-obsessed followers since its initial launch in December 2018. Due to Ron’s worldly experience and immense knowledge of pop culture, his show has tackled every podcast genre imaginable in its 12 episodes and has hosted big-name pop culture personalities such as Peter Dinklage, RuPauland Deepak Chopra. 

“My podcast, quite simply, can only be described as a raging success,” said Burgundy. “I’ll admit – when I first started in this rodeo, it was my first rodeo, and I had no idea what a podcast even was. But through diligent research and persistence, I quickly climbed my way up to the top. And now, it is not my first rodeo. It is now, literally, my second rodeo. And word on the street is that I am already the best rodeo rider that has ever lived… and podcaster, too. This is a fact, folks.”

Season two of the podcast will be even more brilliant than season one. In addition to Kamala Harris, Burgundy will sit down with other cultural forces of nature including actress Brooke Shields, historian and political commentator Doris Kearns Goodwin, feminist activist Gloria Steinem and more. 

“When Ron first started trying to force us to make this podcast with him, we resisted, as it’s clear he’s an unhinged man,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “However, people are actually listening. I have no idea why. Doubly baffling, and for reasons beyond my grasp, they actually want more. Seriously? We have to go through this whole thing again? Fine. Here. Season two. Whatever.”

“The Ron Burgundy Podcast” is available now on iHeartRadio and everywhere else podcasts are heard. Excerpts of the podcast will also be distributed across iHeartRadio broadcast radio stations and via social media channels. Presenting sponsors of the second season of “The Ron Burgundy Podcast” include Fair, NBC and Coors Light.

The Series Will Feature Multiple Genres from Comedy and True Crime to History and Culture, And Kicks Off This Sunday with “The Ron Burgundy Podcast” Broadcasting on 270 iHeartMedia Stations Nationwide, Reaching Millions of New Listeners

NEW YORK –August 8, 2019 – iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America and the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, announced today the premiere of its new “Sunday Night Podcasts” programming. Sunday Night Podcasts will air the most popular and highly-anticipated podcasts from the iHeartPodcast Network across multiple genres, including comedy, true crime, business, history, technology, culture and more, on hundreds of iHeartMedia broadcast stations – enabling these podcasts to reach millions of new listeners.

Sunday Night Podcasts will debut with season two, episode one of “The Ron Burgundy Podcast,” an iHeartRadio Original Podcast co-produced by iHeartMedia and Funny Or Die, this Sunday, August 11 across 270 of iHeartMedia’s broadcast stations, spanning a variety of music and spoken word radio formats including CHR, Hot AC, Country Rock, Urban, News/Talk and more.

Sunday Night Podcasts is part of iHeartMedia’s innovative “Podcast, Meet Broadcast” initiative that utilizes the company’s unparalleled consumer reach to introduce the rapidly growing podcast sector to iHeartMedia’s quarter of a billion monthly broadcast listeners. The upcoming Sunday Night Podcasts include but are not limited to:

(Broadcast times and podcasts vary by station format)

“The Ron Burgundy Podcast"

“Stuff You Should Know”

“Ridiculous History”

“Atlanta Monster”

“Stuff You Missed in History Class”

“TechStuff”

“Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing”

“Whine Down with Jana Kramer”

“Hell and Gone”

“The Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous Podcast”

“Happy Face”

“We’re thrilled to bring some of the world’s best and most popular podcasts to our broadcast listeners every Sunday,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “iHeartMedia reaches 91 percent of the U.S. population with just our broadcast radio stations alone, so we’re uniquely able to provide the scale critical to introducing podcasts to the millions of Americans who aren’t yet familiar with them. Research shows that more than two-thirds of the population still are not dedicated podcast listeners -- many have never even heard a podcast before -- and Sunday Night Podcasts will help introduce different audio series from a variety of genres to a whole new audience.”

iHeartMedia’s “Podcast, Meet Broadcast” strategy has shown proven results with shows like the hit true-crime podcast “Disgraceland,” which aired on more than 70 Classic Rock broadcast radio stations in March of this year and saw a massive increase in listening yielding more than double the amount of the podcast’s typical downloads in the week following the broadcast. In addition, iHeartMedia has premiered episodes of “Family Secrets” and “Monster: The Zodiac Killer” exclusively on iHeartMedia’s broadcast radio stations across the country before they were available anywhere else.

iHeartMedia first leveraged its “Podcast, Meet Broadcast” strategy in October 2017, when Mark Ramsey’s much lauded “Inside Psycho” aired as a 1-hour special on more than 70 iHeartMedia News/Talk stations across the country. In June 2018, iHeartMedia announced a first-of-its-kind agreement with actor Anna Faris and Unqualified Media to bring her hit podcast, “Anna Faris is Unqualified,” to Top 40 broadcast radio and the iHeartPodcast Network.

iHeartMedia has continued to invest heavily in podcasting, from acquiring HowStuffWorks in 2018 to producing an ongoing slate of new iHeartRadio Original shows like “The Ron Burgundy Podcast,” “Disgraceland,” “Chelsea Handler: Life will be the Death of Me,” “Noble Blood” and “Committed,” as well as fostering over a hundred shows from its on-air talent like the popular “Bobbycast” and “The Breakfast Club” radio show podcasts. These shows are distributed on all major podcast platforms, including the iHeartRadio app, which additionally distributes more than 250,000 shows.

Partnership Kicks-Off with “The Outcast” an iHeartRadio Original Podcast

Co-produced by Out Magazine

New York, NY — July 18, 2019 — iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally, and Pride Media, the premier LGBTQ+ media company and home to publications including Out, The Advocate, and Pride, today announced a partnership to co-produce a slate of LGBTQ+ podcasts in 2019-2020 that will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are available.

The partnership will kick off with the launch of “The Outcast,” a brand new iHeartRadio Original podcast co-produced with Out Magazine. Hosted by Fran Tirado, Deputy Editor of Out Magazine, this weekly podcast will explore queer and queer-adjacent topics as they pertain to politics, pop culture, fashion, relationships, money, and more. Each episode takes a deep dive into one theme or story — some tied to timely news topics, others evergreen — expanding on Out magazine's brand of thought-provoking coverage using a combination of interviews, reporting, and roundtable discussions. The first episode of the series will launch on July 18.

“A podcast by the world’s premiere queer media brand is long overdue, and I am more than honored to help it along the way,” said Tirado. “Podcasting and audio storytelling, particularly in the LGBTQ+ space, needs more voices in it. I can’t wait to help elevate and uplift those voices.”

“Pride Media has long been committed to providing relevant and engaging content for the LGBTQ+ community – whether we’re creating a podcast on dating and relationships, or sharing accurate, comprehensive health information,” added Orlando Reece Interim CEO at Pride Media. “We’ve seen the power of podcasting firsthand, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with the leading podcast platform to create shows that we know our audience will love. By combining our established brand with iHeart’s massive scale, we’ll be able to reach even more LGBTQ+ individuals across the country through audio.”

iHeartMedia will also welcome “Food 4 Thot”, a podcast hosted by four queer men who discuss sex, relationships, race and identity, to the iHeartPodcast Network this month. In addition, iHeartMedia and Pride Media will co-create and launch a slate of new podcasts in 2019-2020 with more to be announced.

“At iHeartMedia, our goal is to connect exceptional content with diverse audiences,” said Conal Byrne, President of iHeartMedia Podcast Network. “Pride Media has been an authentic voice for the LGBTQ+ community for years, and this partnership would not be possible without their unique expertise. We are proud to partner with them to create and distribute exciting new podcasts for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.”

“I’m so thrilled that Fran is blessing us with his unique talents in the podcasting space,” said Phillip Picardi, Editor-in-Chief of Out. “Under his vision and direction, I’m hopeful that the stories we’re so proud to tell at Out will be given new dimension and texture.”

iHeartRadio featuring more than 250,000 podcasts, with more than 750 iHeartRadio Originals and is available on over 250 platforms and over 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 iHeartRadio and listen to “The Outcast” on your favorite device now.

New York, NY (January 14, 2019) - Panoply Media announced today that iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally, has selected Panoply’s Megaphone platform to distribute select podcasts across its iHeartPodcast Network. Megaphone will distribute iHeartPodcast hits like Happy Face, Ridiculous History, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, How to Money, The Daily Zeitgest, and Whine Down with Jenna Kramer, as well as Unobscured, The End of the World with Josh Clark, iHeartRadio Presents: Inside The Studio, and The Ron Burgundy Podcast, one of the most anticipated launches of 2019.

iHeartMedia will have access to Megaphone’s full suite of best-in-class tools for publishing, dynamic ad insertion, ad operations, campaign management, reporting, and analytics to help manage its podcast business. Megaphone will also aid in streamlining operations and aligning iHeartMedia’s teams across the country.

"Podcasting has emerged as our newest and fastest growing audio platform, with incredible audience engagement,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “2019 is going to be a huge year for us, rolling out dozens of new shows, and after much examination, we are delighted to have selected Megaphone as our key enterprise and infrastructure partner for a slate of our biggest hits as we continue our extraordinary podcast growth."

“iHeartMedia is transforming the podcast industry with its innovative and enlightening content,” said Brendan Monaghan, CEO of Panoply Media. “We’re incredibly proud to be working with the leading audio company in America, and we’re committed to continuously improving our technology to support their podcast business.”

iHeartMedia’s move to Megaphone follows its acquisition of Stuff Media, LLC, which includes the hugely successful HowStuffWorks podcast network. HowStuffWorks announced earlier this year that its entire slate of shows would be hosted on Megaphone.

For more information about Panoply’s Megaphone platform, please visit www.megaphone.fm.

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Hosted by Holly Frey, Bobby Bones and Charlamagne Tha God with Live Stream Hosted by Mario Lopez, The First-Ever Major Live Podcast Award Ceremony Voted by the Listeners Will Be Held at the iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles 

 Atlanta Monster, Dirty John, Hardcore History, Joe Rogan, Radiolab, Serial, Slow Burn, Stuff You Should Know, The Daily and The Habitat Nominated for Podcast of the Year

 Panel of Judges to include Industry Leaders from Gimlet, iHeartMedia, NPR, Parcast, PRX, Tenderfoot TV, Wondery and others

 NEW YORK -- October 22, 2018 -- iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally with over 20,000 podcasts available on its platform, today announced the first annual live iHeartRadio Podcast Awards Presented By Capital One® to be held at the iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles on Friday, January 18, 2019 at 8 p.m. PT. The first-ever major live awards event voted by the listeners to honor the very best in podcasting will span 22 categories and will celebrate the incredible talent and wide variety of leaders across the booming podcasting industry. 

Hosted by Holly Frey, co-host of “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” one of today’s biggest history podcasts; Charlamagne Tha God, nationally-syndicated on-air host and co-host of “The Brilliant Idiots” and “The Breakfast Club” podcasts; and Bobby Bones, top Country radio host, multiplatform personality and host of the leading Country music focused podcast “Bobbycast” and creator of the Nashville Podcast Network, the event will run 90 minutes and will include a live audience with a live stream hosted by on-air and TV personality  Mario Lopez. Presenters include Payne Lindsay (“Up & Vanished”), Aaron Mahnke (“Lore”), and Jake Brennan (“Disgraceland”), with more to be announced.

Since the introduction of podcasts more than a decade ago, the entertainment industry has seen a steady increase in listenership and popularity across the medium, with over 44 percent of Americans having listened to a podcast.  Today, podcasts have twice the reach than all of satellite radio and the iHeartRadio Podcast Network has seen a nearly 200 percent year-over-year growth in podcast listening in the past year.

“Podcasting has roared onto the audio scene, creating the most excitement since the advent of streaming music services. The iHeartRadio Podcast Awards Presented By Capital One® will provide a forum to celebrate the high-caliber, creative content that has made podcasting a major new audio category -- and that truly reflects America’s favorite podcasts, voted by the listeners themselves,” said Conal Byrne, President of iHeartMedia’s Podcasting Division. “We look forward to hosting this transformative, annual event and encouraging everyone in the podcasting industry to push the envelope and inspire even more creators in this space.” 

The iHeartRadio Podcast Awards Presented By Capital One® will honor the most entertaining and innovative podcasts of 2018 as well as celebrate podcast fans by giving listeners the opportunity to decide the winners in 17 of the 22 categories with podcasts “Atlanta Monster,” “Dirty John,” “Hardcore History,” “Joe Rogan,” “Radiolab,” “Serial,” “Slow Burn,” “Stuff You Should Know,” “The Daily” and “The Habitat” nominated for Podcast of the Year. 

A panel of blue-ribbon podcast industry leaders, creatives and visionaries including Marc Smerling, “Crimetown”; Jake Brennan, “Disgraceland”; Alex Blumberg, Gimlet; Conal Byrne and Chris Peterson, iHeartMedia; Aaron Mahnke, “Lore”; Anya Grundmann, NPR; Max Cutler, Parcast; Owen Grover, Pocket Casts; Maggie Taylor, PRX; Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark, “Stuff You Should Know”; Holly Frey, “Stuff You Missed in History Class”; Donald Albright and Payne Lindsay, Tenderfoot TV; Sim Sarna, Unqualified Media; and Hernan Lopez, Wondery will determine the winner in five major categories: Podcast of the Year, Breakout Podcast, Best Branded Podcast, Best Social Impact from Podcast/Host and Podcast Innovator Award. 

Fans can vote for their favorite podcasts beginning today through January 6, 2019 online and socially across Twitter and Instagram. Visit iHeartPodcastAwards.com for a complete list of nominees and voting details.  Winners will be announced during the live show and stream filled with unique celebrations at the iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles.

“The podcasting space is on fire and we are excited to recognize its leaders, as decided by the fans and a panel of industry creatives and experts,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc. “We are delighted to use our expertise with events and awards shows to build the first major industry awards show for podcasts, to use our unparalleled size and scale to promote and market the event – and to include these great companies and luminaries in the celebration.”   

Nominees include podcasts from all creators, distributors and platforms — not just those developed by or available on the iHeartRadio Podcast Network. The iHeartRadio Podcast Awards Presented By Capital One® is part of iHeartMedia’s roster of incredibly successful, nationally recognized events, including the iHeartRadio Music Festival, iHeartRadio Music Awards, the nationwide iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Concert Tour Presented by Capital One®, iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, iHeartCountry Festival, iHeartRadio ALTer Ego and iHeartRadio Wango Tango.

iHeartRadio carries more than 20,000 podcasts from its own podcasts to other major podcast publishers ranging from NPR, Wondery 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. Conal Byrne, President and CEO of Stuff Media has now become the President of the iHeartRadio Podcast Division.