The Wolf Den

What are the biggest challenges facing public radio, and how does podcasting fit into the equation? Those are just a couple of the big questions that guest Adam Ragusea tackles in this spirited discussion with hosts Chris Bannon and Lex Friedman. Adam is the host and producer of The Pub podcast from Current, the industry publication for public media, and he’s Journalist in Residence and Visiting Assistant Professor at Mercer University. He’s known for staking out strong--sometimes controversial--positions on issues like native advertising, objectivity and journalistic ethics, which he shares on this episode. Adam also explains why he thinks the big northeastern cities shouldn’t dominate podcasting, and gives some advice for young people who want to create great audio.

Through her WNYC podcast and radio program “Note to Self” Manoush Zomorodi is exploring how technology affects culture, the way we work and the way we live our lives. She guests on the Wolf Den to discuss how that curiosity has led to projects on her show that engaged tens of thousands of listeners to join in guided self-experiments in managing their use of personal technology, and their own information overload. Manoush also reflects on the experience of being a woman covering a male-dominated field like tech, and how podcasting inadvertently offers a buffer from the kind of negativity often seen on social media. She also has practical advice for podcasters who want to build audience engagement, and lessons to share from her transition from being a news reporter to a host.This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron.

Learn all about Audible's new Channels podcast line-up with Eric Nuzum, the company’s Vice President of Original Content. He joins new co-hosts Chris Bannon and Lex Friedman in the Wolf Den to explain what Channels is, and how the effort intends to grow the audience for spoken word audio by expanding the variety of content. Eric talks about how he evaluates programming and its performance, and recalls a mentor from early in his career who taught him what makes for really good content. He also addresses his move from NPR  to Amazon, as well as the migration of talent out of public radio, reflecting on changes that public radio could make to adapt to the changing landscape. Plus, Eric shares his advice for podcasters and producers who are pursuing success.This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron.

Find out what’s happening behind the scenes at Midroll and Earwolf during this very busy summer, as Midroll's Erik Diehn and Lex Friedman join Adam for his very last episode hosting The Wolf Den. Adam recently stepped aside from his position of CEO and explains his reasons for doing so. He reminisces with Lex and Erik about the most fun, and the most challenging, moments of the last three eventful years. Then they take up Midroll's recent acquisition of Stitcher, addressing some of the concerns raised by a few prominent tech podcasters. Lex and Erik detail why and how a reinvigorated Stitcher will be good for all podcasters. Finally they discuss Midroll’s brand studio initiative and the upcoming Now Hear This podcast festival, and share what’s in store for Earwolf.This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron.

On this episode Matt Lieber provides some insight on what makes his company, Gimlet Media, tick. He is the president of Gimlet, which produces popular podcasts like Reply All, Surprisingly Awesome, and Startup, the company’s first show, which also documented Gimlet’s own launch. Adam asks Matt to share what it was like to go through that experience, with so many people learning so many intimate details on the show. Matt also charts his career journey, from unexpectedly reporting on 9/11, to becoming a public radio producer, taking a turn into business school and consulting, then returning to audio with Gimlet. He  explains why he is confident in the future of podcasting, and reveals the factors he believes contribute to audience growth. Finally, he talks about the company’s Gimlet Creative brand studio, and what it takes to get audiences to listen to branded podcasts.This episode is sponsored by Hired and Podcast Movement.

Dig deep into the business of podcasting with this episode of The Wolf Den, recorded live at a Fast Company Creative Counter-Conference event hosted at the Earwolf studios in Hollywood. Adam moderates a panel with Earwolf hosts Sarah Thyre (“Crybabies”) and Franklin Leonard (“The Black List Table Reads”). They answer questions from the assembled journalists, agency representatives and media industry professionals about building audience, the ethics of podcast ads, episode length, and pitching guests to hosts. First, to get everyone up to speed, Adam presents a short history of Earwolf and Midroll, and shares some very funny, and very effective podcast ad reads.This episode is sponsored by Hired and Podcast Movement.

Comedian and Jersey boy Chris Gethard wasn’t quite ready to host one of the hottest and most popular podcasts around. As he explains to Adam Sachs on this episode of The Wolf Den, he thought there would be some time in the first few months to feel it out. Instead, getting featured on This American Life attracted a massive audience to his show, Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, who stuck around because of the singular mix of openness, honesty and empathy with which Chris treats the callers to his show. He talks about how the concept for the podcast evolved with the help of producers Gretta Cohn and John Delore, and how he was also surprised by the effusive feedback he’s received from listeners and fans. Chris also reflects on how making the podcast is different from his Fusion television show, “The Chris Gethard Show,” and how Beautiful/Anonymous fits into his desire to find  happiness in making things. Finally, he doles out some tough love advice for aspiring podcasters, and anyone pursuing creative endeavors.This episode is sponsored by Podcast Movement.

Adam gets Scott Aukerman in the guest chair for the first time as host of "The Wolf Den," along with Chris Bannon, Midroll Media’s chief content officer, to talk about the state of Earwolf and Howl. Hear Scott do his best Paul Scheer impression as he recalls the Christmas party where Paul pitched his idea for "How Did This Get Made?" and reflects on the seven-year journey of building Earwolf. Then Chris and Scott explain why the Wolfpop network was retired--with most of the shows joining Earwolf--and how growing Earwolf beyond the bounds of comedy was actually part of the original vision for the network. Scott talks about the CBB Live Tour—going on now—and why he agreed to release the recordings on Howl Premium, which leads to a wider discussion about Howl and the creative advantages of having a subscription platform. Finally, Chris spills the beans on some upcoming Howl Original shows.

Laura Walker is the president and CEO of New York Public Radio, the largest public radio station group in the US, and a well-known leader in podcasting, though its flagship station WNYC. In fact, it was the first public station to release a podcast, which sparks a conversation about how podcasting fits in with the station's mission as a public broadcaster, and why the organization stuck with the medium in the late 2000s when much of the excitement around podcasting had worn off. Laura discusses the recently launched WNYC Studios and its $15 million fund to incubate innovative new audio programming, and details the station’s goal to bring gender balance to iTunes top podcasts chart. She also tackles the question of the so-called “public radio exodus” into for-profit podcasting—and her answer might surprise you.

Hillary Frank got into radio by breaking the rules, using a boombox and an answering machine to produce a segment for This American Life. She is the host of the leading parenting podcast The Longest Shortest Time, which joined Earwolf in January 2016. On this episode of The Wolf Den Hillary tells Adam the This American Life story, and explains how working as a freelance radio producer and a difficult child birth led her to create her podcast. They discuss how her expectations shifted as the podcast became successful in its own right, and why Hillary decided to bring The Longest Shortest Time to Earwolf. Finally, Hillary offers some trenchant and unconventional advice for aspiring podcasters.