The Wolf Den

Learn the story behind Hillary Clinton’s headline-grabbing interview on Another Round, along with how Lena Dunham’s new podcast, Women of the Hour, came together.  Plus there are many other juicy tidbits for podcast nerds on this episode, as Buzzfeed’s Director of Audio Jenna Weiss-Berman opens up to Adam on a cornucopia of vital topics in public broadcasting and podcasting. She explains why having a diverse staff starts with paying your interns fairly, and why that's good for both creating high quality content and for the bottom line. As a former public radio producer--and still an enormous public radio fan--Jenna challenges the persistent misconception that only public broadcasters can be mission-driven. And she reveals the kind of podcast she really wants to produce, as well as her thoughts on “viral" audio.

Learn the back story of how the case of Adnan Syed came to the attention of Serial producer Sarah Koenig from the person who first contacted her, Rabia Chaudry.  Herself an attorney, Rabia now co-hosts her own podcast, Undisclosed, in which she and fellow attorneys Susan Simpson and Colin Miller examine new and existing evidence in the State of Maryland’s case against Adnan. Rabia tells Adam the story of how she contacted and worked with Koenig and explains how the idea for Undisclosed came together. She explains what it’s been like being a beginning podcaster, and then having your show become a runaway hit. She also shares the challenges and rewarding parts of producing Undisclosed, and what listeners can look forward to in forthcoming seasons.

Ryan Hoover is the founder of Product Hunt, a website and online community that has been described as Reddit for tech products. The site recently added a section dedicated to podcasts, and Ryan tells Adam what exactly Product Hunt is, how it got started, and how it works. Unlike many other sites, Product Hunt focuses on individual podcast episodes, rather than shows or series, and Ryan explains the motivation behind that emphasis. He also details how he wants Product Hunt to be home of conversations between podcasters and listeners, and what aspects of the site encourage that interaction. Because discovering new and interesting episodes is a key objective of Product Hunt, Adam asks Ryan how the site can uncover fresh episodes, rather than being focused on the same shows that dominate the charts. Finally, Ryan talks about what podcasters need to do to help build community and engagement.

Adam goes deep into the business of podcasting with Erik Diehn, Midroll Media's VP of Business Development, touching on how Erik finds and signs new shows, how public radio came to dominate the top of the charts, and on the advertising technologies like programmatic buying and ad injection. Erik joined Midroll from New York Public Radio, so Adam asks him why he decided to make the jump last year from the nation's largest public radio station to a comparatively small podcasting startup. Erik then explains what it means to be in charge of business development and how he calls upon the experiences represented on his varied resume in both technology and media to do his unique job. He also details why he thinks it was important for the company to launch the Howl app and platform, and why it's in important evolution in podcasting. Finishing up, Adam asks Erik to unpack the hype around the connected car and predict the effect it will have on podcasting.

Go behind the scenes of the sponsorships that support top public radio podcasts—like This American Life, The Moth, and Serial—with Adam’s guest David Raphael, founder and CEO of Public Media Marketing. David recalls how his career in public media caused him to see an unfilled need among many shows, leading to the founding of PMM. He then explains the differences between selling broadcast sponsorships and podcast ads, both with regard to conforming to FCC standards, and with regard to the very different audience demographics between each medium, even for the same show. Adam and David discuss selling sponsorships for the first season of Serial, and how David is managing sponsors for the highly anticipated second season. Finally, David tackles the question of if podcast-style ads are compromising public radio’s “public-ness” and what advice he would give to podcasters, based on what he’s learned from working with top shows.

Lea Thau is one of the strongest influencers of the modern storytelling style that has taken off in radio, television, advertising, and, of course, podcasting. She is a Peabody Award-winning producer and director, the former executive director of The Moth storytelling organization, and now the creator and host of the podcast Strangers. On this episode Lea tells Adam why she left The Moth and how Strangers came together, explaining the show’s relationship to  public radio station KCRW and the Public Radio Exchange’s Radiotopia podcast network. Since Radiotopia is funded through both Kickstarter and sponsorships, Lea touches on the difference, and how listeners respond to hearing her read advertisements. They discuss the recent evolution of storytelling, why Lea is drawn to it, and how the kind of narratives she presents on Strangers differ from journalism. She also shares the process of revealing her life more in the show, and what her advice is for the podcaster who wants to be a good storyteller.

Get the inside scoop on Earwolf, Wolfpop, and now, Howl on this episode of The Wolf Den. Adam’s guests are Midroll Media’s Chief Content Officer Chris Bannon and Senior Producer Gretta Cohn. They shed some light on how they work with the networks’ hosts to develop and hone shows, as well as keep them fresh. Chris and Gretta both joined Midroll from New York Public Radio, so each explains the difference between their previous radio jobs and working in a comparatively fast-moving small startup environment. Adam asks Chris to explain what exactly Howl is and he asks Gretta to explain what makes audio content merit being called “premium.” This leads to a discussion about the wide range of content and audio genres listeners can expect from Howl, while they reveal that there are also new free, ad-supported Earwolf and Wolfpop shows in development. Wrapping up, Gretta and Chris each recommend one new Howl Original show to check out.

Marc Maron joins Adam for this instant-classic episode of The Wolf Den, recorded live on stage at Podcast Movement 2015. Marc shares his thoughts on having President Obama on his own podcast, WTF, and his take on the press coverage that only focused on the president using one particular word on that episode. He then tells the story of how he went from doing his show as “the alternative to suicide,” to having one of the most popular and respected podcasts around. Adam asks Marc if he was making any money early on, and Marc details the journey that started with getting free coffee from a roaster in Madison, Wisconsin, to the current successful formula of ad support and paid subscription archives. Marc then takes some audience questions about the moment when he knew WTF was more than just a personal outlet, the critical importance of making an authentic connection with guests, and his approach to marketing the show.

Breaking news: In a landmark deal for podcasting, Midroll Media has been acquired by E.W. Scripps, a titan of media and journalism, old and new. Adam sits down with Scripps' Chief Digital Officer and Senior Vice President of Digital Media, Adam Symson and Vice President of Digital Strategy and Business Development, JB Kropp to discuss the new partnership and what it means for the industry. The three discuss how the companies met, how they discovered they share the same vision for non-negotiable free speech and excellent content, and what the future holds as the two companies intertwine. Midroll and E.W. Scripps couldn't be more thrilled to join forces and take podcasting to the next level.

Crissle West is the co-host of the enormously popular podcast The Read, and she joins Adam in The Wolf Den to talk about her experience in podcasting, and growing the diversity of voices heard in the medium. Crissle shares the story of how she met her co-host Kid Fury, started the show with the Loud Speakers network, and then settled into its successful format. She explains that when The Read started the only podcast she listened to was This American Life, in part because there were very few shows featuring people of color then. Now that The Read is popular, Crissle discusses what it’s like to have a loyal fanbase and do sold-out live shows. She also talks about how she is able to make a living from the show—something she did not anticipate—and the value of working with a network. Finally Crissle gives her advice for new podcasters, and predicts what’s in store for her in the next couple of years.