iHeartRadio Original Podcast

“Song Stories” hands the mic to FINNEAS allowing fans to hear directly from chart-topping performers

Listen to the official trailer HERE

Download the logo HERE

NEW YORK – July 13, 2022 – iHeartMedia, the No. 1 audio company in America and the No. 1 podcast publisher globally as per Podtrac, today announced “Song Stories,” a groundbreaking artist-led, music-first iHeartRadio podcast. Hosted by Jordan Runtagh, Writer, and Executive Podcast Producer at iHeartRadio, the new franchise will allow game-changing, chart-topping musicians to tell the incredible backstories of their songwriting process, production collaborations and eye-popping live tours in a way that audiences have never heard before. The first episode of “Song Stories” debuts July 20,2022, with new episodes launching every Wednesday on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.

“Music is the lifeblood of iHeartRadio, and we pride ourselves in connecting fans to the artists and music they love in a way that creates immersive, unforgettable experiences,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. “The extremely personal process of creating new music, putting it down on ‘tape’ and then touring the world with it is in-and-of itself a story that fans want to hear – and ‘Song Stories’ will do just that in podcast form, amplifying those stories even more through iHeartRadio’s massive broadcast, digital and social reach.”

The inaugural season will feature FINNEAS, who went from teenage musician and producer to Academy and multi-GRAMMY award winning powerhouse producer, and critically acclaimed solo artist. He will share an inside look into the creation of his debut LP ‘Optimist,’ an album shaped largely by the events of 2020. In quick succession, upcoming seasons of “Song Stories” will feature a new artist with each dedicated season chronicling the creation of their newest album and the tour that follows. These backstories will often start far upstream, tracking an artist’s journey from the very beginnings of the creative songwriting process, all the way through to performing those songs live for fans around the world. “Song Stories” other featured artists to be announced soon.

“My connection with my fans is so important to me, and I’ve loved sharing my album with them,” said FINNEAS. “I’m so excited to team up with iHeartRadio to bring them into the intimate process of making the album through this podcast. It’s an important piece of me and I can’t wait for them to hear how it came together.”

iHeartMedia has been in the business of supporting and growing musicians’ relationships with their audiences from the beginning – through the power its nearly 900 broadcast radio stations across the country to recent podcasts like “Inside the Studio,” which has featured interviews with legends like Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Dave Matthews, Lenny Kravitz, Katy Perry, Saweetie, Bebe Rexha and more. “Song Stories” will take that to a new level, with deep access and storytelling like never before.

“Song Stories” will be distributed by The iHeartPodcast Network.

Based on the book "Tears in the Darkness,” the podcast recounts Ben Steele’s incredible story of survival.

Listen to the trailer HERE.

WHAT: Just months after World War II broke out, Ben Steele found himself in the Philippines, a long way from his home state in Montana, and in the most perilous circumstances. iHeartRadio’s new original limited series documentary podcast “Ben Steele, American,” hosted by Alec Baldwin, tells Steele’s harrowing story as he became a prisoner of war within the first five months of WWII and forced to take part in the brutal and deadly Bataan Death March, in which prisoners were cruelly treated while forced to march for over 60 miles. Ben came close to dying and was given last rites three times while imprisoned at a camp, yet he miraculously survived. To keep his sanity, Ben began using charcoal from the fire at the prison hospital to draw, and a lifelong love of the arts was born. 

After the war, Ben studied with famous artists and eventually made his way back home to Montana, where he taught art at a college in Billings where he had a particular empathy for, and influence on, students who had suffered traumas in their own lives.

“Ben Steele, American” is a documentary limited series podcast telling the remarkable story of Ben Steele: the best of human beings in the worst of times.

WHO: Narrated by actor Alec Baldwin, “Ben Steele, American” features interviews with Ben Steele acquired over a span of 30 years before his death in 2016 at age 98. The podcast also has first-person interviews with over thirty former prisoners of war, including numerous Bataan Death March survivors, and notable history scholars from around the world.

The podcast is narrated by Baldwin, who also produced the show alongside Jan Thompson and Zach McNees. The podcast, written by Thompson and mixed by McNees, was inspired by the book “Tears In The Darkness” by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

Baldwin has appeared in numerous productions on stage, in films and on television since his debut in 1980. He’s won three Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes and seven consecutive Screen Actors Guild Awards for his role on NBC’s 30 Rock. He’s also received nominations at the Tony Awards in 2001 for A Streetcar Named Desire and at the Academy Awards in 2004 for The Cooler. 

WHEN: The first two episodes of “Ben Steele, American” premieres tomorrow, Thursday, June 30, with new episodes released weekly on Thursdays. Listen to the trailer HERE.

WHERE: Listen to “Ben Steele, American” on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Martha Stewart to sit down with the world’s most brilliant entrepreneurs to give podcast listeners a crash course in brand-building, leadership, collaboration and success

NEW YORK – June 15, 2022 – iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, today announced a new partnership with Martha Stewart to produce a new iHeartRadio Original Podcast. “The Martha Stewart Podcast” is a talk show style series that will feature intimate, in-depth, probing interviews with some of the most fascinating people in the world - all who are at the top of their respective fields. The first episode is set to debut on June 22. Listen to the podcast trailer HERE.

Martha has done it all: TV, magazines, the web, radio and more, but fans have never heard Martha Stewart quite like this. On her new podcast, Martha will sit down with influential people she has met along her successful and storied career, discussing their paths to the top and the lessons they have learned along the way. The first episode will feature friend and business partner Snoop Dogg for a conversation that can’t be missed. Additional guests will include Kris Jenner, Alex Rodriguez, Martha’s “besties” and creative collaborators Kevin Sharkey and Douglas Friedman, international plant explorer Dan Hinkley and more.

“I am thrilled to partner with iHeartMedia on my first-ever original podcast series,” said Martha Stewart. “I think listeners will deeply enjoy these engaging conversations on life and business, which include many interesting takeaways from the notable guests I have the pleasure of interviewing.”

Listeners will also get a glimpse into Martha’s daily life through never-before-heard audio diary segments. From both her home and on the road, Martha will share an intimate peek into her thoughts, her business and each week’s guest.

“Martha is one of the most successful names in business and media, and we’re delighted to have her join the iHeartPodcast Network,” said Will Pearson, COO of the iHeartPodcast Network. “Martha has an uncanny ability to connect with her audiences and we believe she will offer listeners incredible brand-building and leadership advice to help them find more success in their business endeavors and life journeys.”

“The Martha Stewart Podcast” will be distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network and will be available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard at launch.

WHAT: “The Unimaginable” is a show about phenomenal encounters and the life altering decisions people make because of them. Join Belfast born host and musician James Brown as he investigates unusual perspectives born out of the unimaginable. Each episode starts with a guest’s unimaginable event followed by a conversation between James and his guest as they unpack (sometimes while laughing and crying) stories that touch on the unknown, loss, spirituality, resilience, power, life, presence, empathy and acceptance. Take a music driven ride with a group of unheard and unknown experts in the unimaginable to heal a little, feel less alone and to learn from those that have been to hell and back - sometimes more than once. Regarding the musical aspect of the podcast, James says, “There’s music in The Unimaginable podcast because sometimes music helps us understand things that words can’t.” A few songs featured in the podcast can be found HERE.

WHO: James Brown has lived a life that is often described as unimaginable. Not just for the tragedy but for the good moments as well. Born in Belfast at the tail end of a civil war he escaped the troubled streets by traveling the world as a missionary working with underprivileged children. At 23, James emigrated to the United States and settled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina. Sooner after, he met a deeply evangelical hipster family who lived in nearby Charlotte, NC. They started playing music together and James quickly fell in love with the youngest daughter, Ashlee. They started a band called “Matrimony,” for the union of music and words. A few years later, James and Ashlee's daughter, Cecelia was born. At 2 years old, Cecelia suddenly died from what doctors deemed “unexplained causes.” James created “The Unimaginable” podcast to talk to other people about their unimaginable experiences including love, loss, the supernatural, music, movies, the human condition, mental health, family, war and culture.

WHEN: “The Unimaginable” premieres today, Tuesday, May 10th, with new episodes released weekly on Tuesdays. 

ASSETS: Hi-res logos for “The Unimaginable”, and a full bio & headshot for James Brown can be found HERE

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Premiering Today, The Series is Hosted by Award-Winning Journalists Caren Zucker and John Donvan

Listen to the First Episode HERE

NEW YORK, NY (April 14, 2022) -- iHeartRadio, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, today announced the launch of a new original podcast, “Autism’s First Child,” hosted by award-winning journalists, Caren Zucker and John Donvan.

Each week, Zucker and Donvan will trace the history of Autism through the first person ever diagnosed, Donald Triplett, and hear from the rural community that helped raise him. Donald Triplett’s story is one about empathy and understanding -- now 88 years old, he has lived a full and happy life in Forest, Mississippi. Listeners will meet Triplett, hear about his remarkable life, and his diagnosis that changed history.

"It’s a story with so many layers and side roads that being able to tell it over many episodes gives us a whole story that is greater than parts,” said Donvan.

“When we went looking for the first child diagnosed with autism, we had no idea it would turn out to be such a beautiful story,” said Zucker. 

Zucker and Donvan are also the authors of the book, In A Different Key: The Story of Autism, which was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist in General Nonfiction and producers of the documentary by the same name. 

“Autism’s First Child” is now available on iHeartRadio and all major podcast platforms. Subscribe to listen HERE. 

About Caren Zucker

Caren Zucker is a director, producer and journalist who has told stories for more than 25 years across a broad range of subjects both domestically and internationally. As a producer for ABC’s World News and Nightline, working alongside Peter Jennings, Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer, she covered civil rights, presidential campaigns, economic issues and social trends. She was honored for her role in ABC’s coverage of 9/11 with two of television’s most prestigious prizes, the Peabody and the Alfred L. DuPont awards. Zucker was the producer and co-writer of PBS NewsHour series Autism Now. Her oldest son Mickey’s autism diagnosis inspired a new direction in her reporting: to bring a better understanding of autism’s realities.
 

About John Donvan

John Donvan is a veteran network correspondent and producer for ABC, CNN and PBS, and host and moderator of the Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates, which are heard on public radio and by podcast. He has also been a contributing editor to The Atlantic. During his journalism career, in addition to anchoring various ABC broadcasts, John served as chief White House correspondent, and held multiyear postings in London, Moscow, Jerusalem and Amman, Jordan. He wrote and reported for the documentary program Turning Point. The winner of four Emmys and the Overseas Press Club Award, he became interested in autism’s impact on families upon meeting his wife, physician and medical school professor Ranit Mishori, who grew up in Israel with a brother profoundly affected by autism, He has two children and lives in Washington, DC.

Download Cover Art HERE

Listen to the trailer HERE

WHAT: Hosted by actress, activist and author Alicia Silverstone, “The Real Heal” is a new iHeartRadio podcast produced by FRQNCY Media dedicated to cutting through the noise and teaching us how to truly heal. Each week, Silverstone will sit down with a guest to talk candidly about health and healing through the lens of topics like self-love, nurturing children, ocean conservation and more.

Guests will include a range of experts and curious souls alike -- featuring filmmaker Kevin Smith, parenting expert Dr. Laura Markham, restaurateur Pinky Cole and more.

WHO: Alicia Silverstone, an American actress best known for her role in the teen comedy “Clueless.” Alicia is the co-creator of myKind Organics, and author of two books: The Kind Diet (2009) and The Kind Mama (2014). “The Real Heal with Alicia Silverstone” is distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network.

WHEN: The first episode will be released on Thursday, March 10, with new episodes every Thursday. Listen to the official trailer now HERE.

WHERE: “The Real Heal with Alicia Silverstone” will be available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.

TRAILER:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-real-heal-with-alicia-92746734/

PODCAST PLAYER EMBED CODE: 

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ABOUT FRQNCY MEDIA

FRQNCY Media Co. is a podcast production and audio innovation company that specializes in richly narrative podcasts that help to heal, enlighten, or uplift through the power of sound. Since its launch in 2018, FRQNCY Media has built a reputation for its innovative, collaborative, and immersive approach to audio for Apple, Spotify, Coca-Cola, Vox, The Jane Goodall Institute, TurboTax, Diane von Furstenberg, and more. Alongside its core mission, FRQNCY Media is a post-Capitalist company structured to create a workplace fueled by joy and balance for those fulfilling that mission. https://frqncy.media