Best The Bad Pod An Ad Pod Podcasts (2025)

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Oliver Darcy Thinks the Media Doesn’t Get It. So He Built Status 53:40

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20h ago53:40

53:40

One thing about the internet is that it lets you build really, really fast. A little more than a year ago, Oliver Darcy was an unemployed former CNN media reporter. Today he’s the proprietor of Status, his must-read media newsletter. In our conversation, we spend a little bit of time talking through the mechanics of his two-man operation, and how h…

1
Our In-Show Rivalry Is Heating Up, And Football Is Back 1:00:41

2d ago1:00:41

1:00:41

(00:00-02:00) INTRO(02:01-12:52) ARMY VS NAVY BIAS DEBATE(12:53-33:42) FOOTBALL CONVERSATION(33:43-40:23) LARRY PICKETT RESCUE(40:24-56:09) BA TV GUIDE(56:10-1:00:41) POST SHOW You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/ZeroBlog30…

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Why Henry Blodget is Building Another Media Company 57:56

8d ago57:56

57:56

Henry Blodget can’t help himself. The Business Insider founder is starting another media business, knowing full well how difficult the industry can be. You can watch him build it in real time: Regenerator on Substack, and Solutions on TikTok, YouTube and everywhere you hear your favorite podcasts. Henry — who hired me to work at Business Insider in…

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Charlie Iacono on The 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic & The Green Beret Foundation 1:29:51

9d ago1:29:51

1:29:51

(00:00-02:14) Intro(02:15-11:03) The Last 72(11:04-16:03) Mamdani Bench Press(16:04-22:48) Trump American Flag Executive Order(22:49-30:56) Cracker Barrel Makeover(30:57-38:29) Oval Office Updates(38:30-01:23:14) Charlie Iacono Interview(01:23:15-01:29:52) Post Show You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prim…

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S34 Trailer | Dirtbag Climber 2:09

9d ago2:09

2:09

A dirtbag climber known as Jesse James is found dead in a burned out vehicle on an empty logging road. His past is a total enigma — until a break in the case unleashes a landslide of secrets. Listen to the first episode on Monday, September 8. Binge all episodes early and ad-free by subscribing to CBC True Crime Premium on Apple Podcasts at apple.c…

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ESPN boss Jimmy Pitaro on streaming, the NFL and sports betting 48:14

15d ago48:14

48:14

The media industry has been waiting for ESPN to cut the cord for a decade. Now it’s finally happening: This week the sports TV giant will let you start streaming — without a cable TV subscription — for $30 a month. Why now? ESPN boss Jimmy Pitaro is quite frank about it: Along with his boss — Disney CEO Bob Iger — he wanted to make as much money fr…

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John Feitelberg on His New Show Les Mascots and Politician's Leaning Into Social Media 1:28:43

16d ago1:28:43

1:28:43

John Feitelberg "Feits", joins Cons & Ryan to preview his new series Les Mascots and what it's all about. They also discuss their last 72, Gavin Newsom's social media presence, and The American Education System. You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more,…

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A Busy - and Expensive - Summer for AI, with NYT's Mike Isaac 51:42

22d ago51:42

51:42

What makes a particular engineer worth $250 million to Mark Zuckerberg? What does Trump 2.0 mean — and not mean — to people building large language models? I didn’t know the answers to these questions either. So I got the New York Times’ Mike Isaac, who covers this stuff for a living, to walk me through some of the biggest questions in AI right now…

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Fort Stewart Shooting, National Guard in D.C., and RIP James Lovell BA EP 25 1:21:03

23d ago1:21:03

1:21:03

(00:00-01:20) Intro (01:21-11:15) The Last 72 (11:16-21:58) Barstool Beachhouse (21:59-29:30) Fort Stewart Shooting (29:31-35:48) National Guard Deployed To D.C. (35:39-40:18) RIP James Lovell (40:19-01:15:00) 10 Q's From Rob (01:15:01) Post Show You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen…

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Why the Algorithm is Making Comedy Boom, Again 58:53

29d ago58:53

58:53

The last time I talked to Jesse David Fox about the comedy boom it was… March 5, 2020. Since then, some things have changed. But in other ways it’s just the same: comedy - or at least, some kinds of comedy - seems almost custom-built for our current technological and cultural moment, and it’s easier than ever to get this stuff on your devices whene…

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Airport Lounges Are A Lost Cause, Advice To Your 16-Year Old Self, and Bold Take Of The Week. BA EP 24 1:11:57

30d ago1:11:57

1:11:57

(00:00-01:40) Intro (01:41-29:24) The Last 72 (29:25-39:15) The State of Airport Lounges (39:16-59:39) Advice For My 16-Year-Old Self (59:40-01:10:36) Bold Take Of The Week (01-10:37-01:11:57) Post Show You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit ba…

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What is TV’s endgame? 47:28

1M ago47:28

47:28

A decade ago, Disney CEO Bob Iger freaked out the media industry by acknowledging something many of us saw coming — his previously unassailable TV business was starting to erode. But even with a 10-year warning, today’s moguls seem unable to cope with 2025’s reality: The pay TV business is permanently eroding, and there’s nothing in its place that’…

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Army AI Specialists, RIP Hulk Hogan, and Happy Gilmore 2 Review. BA EP 23 1:03:39

1M ago1:03:39

1:03:39

(00:00-01:25) Intro(01:26-23:24) The Last 72(23:25-30:10) Military desegregation anniversary(30:11-38:50) Army AI Specialists(38:51-41:29) RIP Hulk Hogan(41:30-47:17) NASCAR celebrating America's 250th(47:18-54:29) Trump's Caddy's Assist(54:30-59:50) Happy Gilmore 2(59:51-01:03:39) Post Show You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts…

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Why Trump is defunding NPR and PBS - and suing Rupert Murdoch 35:59

1M ago35:59

35:59

Reporting on the place you work is not fun. But it is an occupational hazard for media reporters — particularly for NPR’s David Folkenflik. That’s because National Public Radio — along with Public Broadcasting Service, its TV counterpart — is quite frequently the target of attacks from critics on the right, who would like the federal government to …

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Army's Phasing Out Horses, Hunter Biden's Dropping Names, and 4 Rules of College Fandom. BA EP 22 1:01:48

1M ago1:01:48

1:01:48

00:00-15:07 Intro/ Last 7215:08-20:42 Army Phasing Out Ceremonial Horses20:43-24:46 Hunter Biden Dropping Names24:47-35:00 Task Force Muleskinner Memorandum35:01-43:09 Harvard American Service Fellowship43:10-49:15 How To Determine College Rooting Interests49:16-01:01:48 Post Show Discussion You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts…

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Inside the Rise and Fall of Condé Nast with Michael Grynbaum 47:38

2M ago47:38

47:38

Here's one way New York Times reporter Michael Grynbaum described Condé Nast to me in this week’s chat: “A real exporter of American cultural influence in the late 20th century.” And here’s another one: "A kind of enchanted land” but also a “lost world." And here’s one way I’d describe it: it’s hard to imagine in 2025, but just a few decades ago, m…

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Tim Kennedy's Trouble, an Epstein List Update, and an Admiral's withdrawal. BA EP 21 1:03:18

2M ago1:03:18

1:03:18

(00:00-00:50) Intro (00:51-25:35) The Last 72 (25:36-45:25) Tim Kennedy (45:26-49:42) Epstein List Update (49:43-56:01) Admiral's Nomination Withdrawn (56:02-01:00:12) Stealing Salads For Dates (01:00:13-01:03:19) Post-Show You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Musi…

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Introducing: The Outlaw Ocean S2 and The shrimp factory whistleblower 42:05

2M ago42:05

42:05

The Outlaw Ocean is an anthology podcast that plunges you into the vast and often lawless world of the open seas. Today we're featuring an investigation from S2 called The Shrimp Factory Whistleblower. In this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Urbina joins Josh Farenello. What started off as a dream job, slowly revealed itself to be a …

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Inside the NYT - and Everywhere Else - with Semafor's Max Tani 48:09

2M ago48:09

48:09

You’re probably a normal person, so you didn’t spend your holiday weekend talking to people at the New York Times about a local politics story that some people didn’t like. But that’s Max Tani’s job: He’s Semafor’s media reporter, which means he’s supposed to burrow into the paper of record — as well as other important media institutions — and tell…

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Ben Smith and Will Webb on Finding Your Path and the Benefits of Plant Medicine 1:52:12

2M ago1:52:12

1:52:12

This week on Bold American Cons, Ryan, and Rob discuss their last 72 4th of July weekend (00:00-12:08) The reveal or lack there of of the Epstein list (12:09-18:14) The floods taking place in Texas and the Coast Guard hero (18:15-24:26). Then Ben Smith and Will Wade join rob to discuss finding your path post separation and the benefits of Plant Med…

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Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker on the problem with tech - and people 43:47

2M ago43:47

43:47

"Black Mirror" creator Charlie Brooker knows that everyone thinks his show is about tech-fueled dystopias. But he says it's really about humans, not their tools. I loved this chat back when we recorded it in 2023, when Brooker was promoting the sixth season of his Netflix show. Now there's a new season - and Brooker's vision of the world is as rele…

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The 4th Of July Best Memories, Dishes, and Traditions. BA Ep 19 1:06:57

2M ago1:06:57

1:06:57

This week on Bold American, Cons, Ryan, and Rob discuss their last 72 as well as welcome Rob's newborn (00:00-20:49), the Navy and Army academies host their reception days and the different ways they do so (20:50-35:53) Best 4th of July memories (35:54-46:15), The ideal 4th of July (46:16-53:35) and what the ideal plate on the 4th is. (53:36-59:09)…

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S33 E1: The Olson Tapes | Calls From a Killer 31:40

2M ago31:40

31:40

Arlene Bynon answers a collect call. On the other end of the line is Clifford Olson: a man convicted of killing eleven children and teenagers in the 1980s. The oldest of them, eighteen. The youngest of them, nine. During years of secret phone calls from his prison cell, he tells this young journalist things he hasn’t told anyone else. Decades later…

1
S33 E2: Something Monstrous | Calls From a Killer 39:57

2M ago39:57

39:57

‘They called him the Candyman.’ In British Columbia’s lower mainland, children are disappearing. Families are terrified as the local RCMP attempts to find out who is preying on vulnerable kids. At a time when both the public and the police don’t know how to deal with a serial killer, Clifford Olson slips through the cracks.…

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S33 E3: The Mounties Always Get Their Man | Calls From a Killer 38:16

2M ago38:16

38:16

It’s the summer of 1981 and the RCMP have their sights set on Clifford Olson, who is well known to them as a career criminal and informant. As police investigate, kids continue to be taken. Kids like Judy Kozma, a 14-year-old who never made it home from her shift at McDonald’s. By the time he’s finally arrested, Olson has murdered at least eleven y…

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How to become a Substack Star with Emily Sundberg 47:07

2M ago47:07

47:07

What's the best way to describe what Emily Sundberg does? Substacker? Influencer? Journalist? Brand-builder? Let's go with "yes". And she does a much better job of describing herself in our conversation, where we talk about how she went from being a laid-off marketer at Meta to a one-woman business with a devoted following and a revenue line that’s…

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S33 E4: Cash for Bodies | Calls From a Killer 33:46

2M ago33:46

33:46

The country is shocked to learn that a serial killer has been paid by the police - $100,000 in return for the locations of his murder victims. Even as decades have passed, opinions are split on this controversial deal. Was Clifford Olson rewarded for his heinous crimes, or was this necessary to stop the killing? And what do the architects of the de…

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VA Secretary Doug Collins On The State of The VA, Erasing Old Stigmas, and Getting Vets The Help They Need

2M ago

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This week on Bold American Cons and Ryan discuss their last 72 (00:00-08:09), including the U.S. B-2 bombers striking Iranian Nuclear Facilities. (08:10-17:41). Then, Cons and Ryan are joined by VA Secretary Doug Collins to discuss his plan to help the VA erase old stigmas, balancing social media narratives, making community care more accessible, s…

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S33 E5: Joan | Calls From a Killer 39:45

2M ago39:45

39:45

After months speaking to Clifford Olson, Arlene is still searching for answers. So she turns her attention to his mysterious wife: the woman who received the ‘cash for bodies’ payout. She’s been attacked by the media and faces the scorn of the public - but Arlene knows there is more to Joan Olson than meets the eye.…

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Rhonda Hiatt, Global CEO of M+C Saatchi Consulting, on Cultural Power, Crisis Navigation & Creative Leadership 1:01:39

2M ago1:01:39

1:01:39

This time, we sit down with Rhonda Hiatt, Global CEO of M+C Saatchi Consulting and CEO of Clear. From mowing lawns in the Midwest to helming a global consultancy and opening a restaurant on the side, Rhonda’s career is a masterclass in reinvention, resilience, and reading the cultural tea leaves. We talk navigating chaos, leading with empathy, and …

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S33 E6: The Others | Calls From a Killer 31:29

2M ago31:29

31:29

Clifford Olson is serving eleven life sentences for killing eleven children. By now, Arlene has been speaking to him for years and is starting to understand this serial killer - and starting to suspect he’s guilty of more murders. Now, she just needs to get him to confess.

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S33 E7: The Escape | Calls From a Killer 33:04

2M ago33:04

33:04

Arlene’s patience with Clifford Olson is wearing thin until he says something truly shocking: he’s stolen a handcuff key and plans to escape. And that’s just one of many ways he’s twisted the justice system to his advantage. In the present day, Arlene and Nathaniel grapple with the devastation Olson has left in his wake. Alongside the families and …

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Why did Apple ice out the most famous Apple blogger? 1:04:48

3M ago1:04:48

1:04:48

If you want smart, nuanced insight into Apple’s products and would-be products, you turn to John Gruber, who’s been blogging about this stuff for more than two decades at his Daring Fireball site. So in March, when Gruber announced that Something is Rotten in the State of Cupertino — focusing on Apple’s botched plans to imbue its ailing Siri servic…

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Rob Evans on Hots & Cots and Their Goal On Helping Base Facilities. BA EP 17 1:25:06

3M ago1:25:06

1:25:06

This week on Bold American Cons, Ryan, and Rob are back to discuss their last 72 (00:00-09:53) The current conflict in the Middle East between Iran and Israel (09:54-18:27) The Army's 250th Birthday (18:28:-27:09) and the shootings that took place on congressman in Minnesota (27:10-35:53). Then Rob Evans, the creator of the Hots&Cots app joins Cons…

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On the hunt for media optimism, with Semafor’s Ben Smith and The Rebooting’s Brian Morrissey 28:22

3M ago28:22

28:22

Here’s one where we try to do two things at once: Have a convo about green shoots in media with two smart guys who know media really well — Semafor’s Ben Smith and The Rebooting’s Brian Morrissey. Try to find new audiences for our respective podcasts, by cutting up that conversation into 3 parts, and distributing those parts to our respective feeds…

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Scott Frank on Netflix, the future of Hollywood, and Dept. Q 43:42

3M ago43:42

43:42

Scott Frank used to write great movies, like “Out of Sight.” Now he’s a Netflix guy, and a super successful one: he made “Godless,” a horses-and-everything Western for the streamer, then had a pandemic-era phenomenon with “The Queen’s Gambit.” Now he’s back with “Dept. Q”, his take on the British mystery genre. You can find that one on Netflix’s to…

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Marines Deployed To Los Angeles and President Trump Vs Elon Musk. BA EP: 16 1:03:29

3M ago1:03:29

1:03:29

On this week's episode of Bold American, Cons, Ryan, and Rob are all back together to discuss their last 72 (00:00-27:35) The madness taking place in Los Angeles and what is/ is not a protest (27:36-49:56) President Trump and Elon Musk exchanging blows over social media in a nasty breakup (49:57-55:37) and we ends the show with some TV talk and som…