Before the end of a busy and exciting year for radio and podcasts, the Third Coast staff got together to recap and reflect on 2017.

Johanna, Maya, Gwen, Dennis and Isabel discussed the shows and moments in the audio world from 2017 that they won't soon forget... and talked about what they look forward to hearing more of in 2018 and beyond.

What we won’t forget from 2017:

Johanna: How much everyone wanted to talk (debate, and reconsider, and take some more) about S-Town.

Isabel: The rise of mini-series, often delving into the mind of one man (yep, mostly men), including: Missing Richard Simmons, Start Up’s series on

Dov Charney, The Pope’s Long Con, Mogul: The Life & Death of Chris Lighty, Embedded’s “Trump Stories”

Dennis: Podcast producers making limited series that can end, like Showcase & Heaven’s Gate.

Maya: How inspiring it was — especially for public media newsrooms — when 74 Seconds won the Third Coast/RHDF Best Documentary: Gold.

Gwen: This latest season of Heavyweight & the divisive set-up of Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel.

What we’re looking forward to in 2018:

Gwen: MORE OF THE THINGS I LOVE!!!!

Johanna: More people re-thinking the podcast form — like in CBC’s Alone: A Love Story.

Maya: A nightly, live on-air radio broadcast hosted by women about urgent, topical issues, like WNYC’s “A Reckoning in Our Own House”

Isabel: More great Spanish-language and bilingual podcasts! Shout out to Martina Castro’s bilingual provocation.

Dennis: Pieces without clear narrative arcs — and podcasts & radio stories made overseas, but NOT in Europe.

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This hour, Third Coast’s take on the holidays.

No Santa 

By John Biewen for Scene on Radio (2015) 

A father turns on a recorder while tucking in his 7-year-old, having no idea he’s about to capture a poignant growing-up moment in his son’s life. (Advisory: This episode is not suitable for some young children.)

Vince Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas 

By Ben Manilla for Inside the National Recording Registry for Studio360 (2012) 

The soundtrack of the holidays is lousy with annoying songs about sleigh rides and snowmen, and beautiful old carols done up as treacly as possible. One of the saving graces this time of year is the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas, written by Vince Guaraldi.

Winterval 

By Helen Zaltzman for The Allusionist (2016) 

There's a word that has become shorthand for 'the war on Christmas' with a side of 'political correctness gone mad': Winterval.

Morning Program [excerpt] 

By Stephanie Foo for Pilot (2016) 

A satirical look at the way public radio often treats "exotic" holidays... applied to Christmas.

Burn Slush! The Reindeer Grand Prix [excerpt] 

By Cathy FitzGerald for BBC World Service (2016) 

Producer Cathy FitzGerald travels to the snowy north of Finland to discover the sport of reindeer racing. She visits the little town of Inari, where the cappuccinos come with tiny antlers sketched in the foam and the local bar – PaPaNa (The Reindeer Dropping) – serves pizza topped with bear salami. Each year, the top 24 fastest reindeer compete here to be crowned The Reindeer King. They fly around a two-kilometre race track carved on the surface of icy Lake Inari to the cheers of hundreds of spectators.

This episode of Re:sound was produced by Dennis Funk

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This hour, some of the winners of our annual documentary competition, including the Best Documentary: Gold Award winner.

The Discussion — Best New Artist 

by Rosa Gollan for PocketDocs from ABC Radio National 

For some friends there's no subject too secret, or content too confronting. Rosa and Ryan have that kind of friendship. But five years after they first met, Rosa realized there was still one discussion left to have, and it wasn't going to be easy.

Los Cassettes del Exilio — Best Foreign Language Award 

by Dennis Maxwell for Radio Ambulante 

For much of Dennis Maxwell’s childhood, his father was living in exile, communicating with the family via cassette tapes. Dennis found those tapes recently and discovered the true impact of his father’s exile.

The Accidental Gay Parents, Part 5 — Best Documentary: Honorable Mention Award 

by Hillary Frank with Kristen Clark and Abigail Keel for The Longest Shortest Time from Stitcher 

This is the story of what it’s like to be a pregnant man, and to share that news with your parents, your children, and the world.

S-Town — Directors' Choice Award 

by Brian Reed and Julie Snyder 

S-Town is a podcast that starts as a traditional investigation into corruption and wrongdoing in rural Alabama that becomes something much newer and stranger: a literary profile of one man’s life.

The Traffic Stop — Best Documentary: Gold Award 

by Tracy Mumford with Hans Buetow, reported by Jon Collins and Riham Feshir, for 74 Seconds forMinnesota Public Radio and American Public Media. 

On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile was pulled over by Officer Jeronimo Yanez for a broken brake light. How did a routine traffic stop turn fatal in less than two minutes? We break down what happened that night, second by second.

This hour of Best of the Best was produced by Dennis Funk.

Music for Best of the Best was provided by Patient Sounds, a private-press record label and book publisher in Chicago.

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This hour, some of the winners of our annual documentary competition.

Featuring...

Quiet Revolution — Best New Artist Award 

by Laura Irving for BIRSt.co.uk 

This autobiographical account follows a middle-aged woman embarking on an unconventional new hobby of roller skating. Is she a fearless warrior against age and gender stereotypes?

Standing Out from the Crowd at a Trump Rally — Best News Feature Award 

by Ike Sriskandarajah for Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX 

In Myrtle Beach, candidate Donald Trump spoke at a Tea Party convention about banning Muslims: “We don’t know where these guys are from.” At a motorcycle rally outside, producer Ike Sriskandarajah is personally confronted with the same skepticism.

Blink Once for Yes — Best Documentary: Bronze Award 

by John Fecile, Steven Jackson and Lizzie Schiffman Tufano for Love + Radio, from Radiotopia 

When Mike comes home after an accident, his family is faced with a new reality and an impossible choice.

Heavyweight: Gregor — Skylarking Award 

by Jonathan Goldstein with co-producers Wendy Dorr, Kalila Holt, Chris Neary for Heavyweight from Gimlet Media.

20 years ago, Gregor lent some CDs to a musician friend. The CDs helped make him a famous rockstar. Now, Gregor would like some recognition. But mostly, he wants his CDs back.

Emancipation: A Young Man Leaves Foster Care on His Own Terms — Radio Impact Award 

by Noel Anaya with Brett Myers and Denise Tejada for Youth Radio and NPR’s All Things Considered 

When Noel Anaya had his final hearing before aging out of California’s foster care system, he wanted to bring millions into that courtroom with him, where he’d suffered time and time again.

Majd’s Diary: Two Years in the Life of a Saudi Girl — Best Documentary: Silver Award 

by Sarah Kate Kramer and Joe Richman for Radio Diaries and NPR’s All Things Considered 

Majd Abdulghani dreams of becoming a scientist, while her parents want to arrange her marriage. From the age of 19 to 21, Majd Abdulghani used a microphone to chronicle her life, taking listeners inside a society where the voices of women are rarely heard.

This hour of Best of the Best was produced by Dennis Funk.

Music for Best of the Best was provided by Patient Sounds, a private-press record label and book publisher in Chicago.

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This hour, we're diving deep into the strange, beautiful world of modern music composition.

The Producer  

By Alex Overington for WXQR's *Meet the Composer* (2017)  

Staff paper and key signatures are great for concertos and sonatas, but the composers in this story don’t think that way… in fact most of them aren’t even sure they should be called composers at all. That includes producer Alex Overington who takes us on a road trip to unravel the creative process of those who write without a score.

This episode of Re:sound was produced by Dennis Funk.

Music for Re:sound* is provided by Patient Sounds, a private-press record label and book publisher in Chicago.

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This hour, what we see - and what we want to see - when we gaze into our reflections in the mirror.

Mirrored

By Cathy Fitzgerald for BBC Radio 4 / World Service (2017)

Each of us cultivates an image of ourselves at certain point in our lives and, once it’s there, it’s a hard image to shake. So much of our identities are expressed through our appearance. So what happens to our self-image as we get older and our features begin to change? In this story, we hear from people between the ages of 11 to 86 years old as they reflect… on their reflections in the mirror.

Only Volunteers

By Rebecca Hertz for Snap Judgement (2012)

When Rebecca began working for a makeover-themed reality TV show, she thought she was going to be helping women realize their dreams and become more self-confident. What actually happened over the course of the show’s production was very different from what she - or any of the show’s contestants - signed up for.

The Trouble With Beauty [Excerpt]

By Lea Redfern for ABC RN’s 360 Documentaries (2013)

As producer Lea Redfern prepares to have her first baby girl, she confronts the issue of having to someday teach her daughter about “beauty.” In this story, Lea explores how society values beauty and whether as a parent, she’ll be able to turn some of those values around.

This episode of Re:sound was produced by Isabel Vazquez.

Music for Re:sound is provided by Patient Sounds, a private press record label and publisher in Chicago.

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This hour, amateur detectives, spiritual revelations and other stories of dogged perseverance.

The 27th Amendment 

By Matt Largey for Pop-Up Magazine and KUT Austin (2016) 

With everything that’s going on in politics these days, it helps to remember the power that we have as individuals to make change. Examples of this are far too few, of course. But there is one that stands out. And you’ve probably never heard it.

Angie 

By Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer for their podcast Criminal (2015) 

In July of 2002, Philadelphia Homicide Detective Pat Mangold was called to the scene of a gruesome murder on the Schuylkill River. When he wasn’t able to determine the victim’s identity, he expected the case to remain unsolved. But then, out of the blue, a professional soccer player inserted himself into the investigation, and became obsessed with solving the crime. 

Featuring a behind the scenes interview with Phoebe Judge

First You Leave and Then You Go 

By Karen Duffin Re:sound debut, originally produced for the Transom Storytelling Workshop (2013)

This episode of Re:sound was produced by Dennis Funk.

Karen's dad most wanted to pass on his curiosity and his faith to his seven children. She has the curiosity, it's sharing his faith that she's not so sure of.

Music for Re:sound is provided by Patient Sounds, a private press record label and publisher in Chicago.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.