The Pod Spotter
There are over two million podcasts out there, so how can you find your next binge-worthy pod? The Pod Spotter team listens to tons of them. Every Monday, our host Zack Robidas, will highlight a great new or lesser-known podcast. He’ll talk to the host, play the best clips, and bring you a one-of-a-kind conversation you can't get anywhere else.
Episodes
44 episodes
S1 Ep#42: The Apology Line
It started as a social experiment in 1981. You'd call a phone number and leave a message in which you would apologize for a crime or misdeed you'd committed. But to the man who created it, Allan Bridge, the “Apology Line” became a fascination.<...
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50:55
S1 Ep#41: Scattered
Chris Garcia was in denial when his father was diagnosed with dementia. Until the day his dad didn’t recognize him. So Chris did what any comedian would do – he joked about it. The result is his podcast, Scattered, from WNYC Studios.
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54:15
S1 Ep#40: Suave
Serving life in prison since the age of 17, “Suave” Gonzalez assumed he would die behind bars. But one day he met a journalist whose words gave him purpose. Then when a Supreme Court ruling set him free, he truly was given a second chance.“...
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53:44
Bonus Ep: Best of "Last 5 Minutes, No One Is Listening" Part 1
No one listens to the last 5 minutes of any podcast. And so each week Zack and our guests use that time to reveal secrets, get something off their chest, or just share something personal. It’s resulted in some of our best audio.Unfortunatel...
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50:44
S1 Ep#39: Trickeration
Some of the greatest stories in sports didn’t happen between the lines, during the games, or in front of the cameras.They are the best sports stories you've never heard.This week we talk to Matt Waxman, creator and host of iHeart's ...
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51:11
S1 Ep#38: Gamblers
To some, gambling isn’t much of a gamble.Certainly no more risky than investing in the stock market.Of course, there is the chance you’ll get hassled by law enforcement, the government, or “rolled” in a convenience store parking lot for...
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1:02:53
S1 Ep#37: Band of Mothers
On this special Mother’s Day episode, we celebrate the realities of motherhood with a couple of moms who know that there’s no such thing as a perfect mother or a perfect kid.The Pod Spotter welcomes the Band of Mothers podcast and ...
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1:05:57
S1 Ep#36: Bear Brook
There are tons of investigative, True Crime podcasts. But how many actually contributed to solving a cold case?This week we feature Bear Brook, an investigative series that profiled, and helped solve, a 30-year old quadruple-murder...
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1:02:37
S1 Ep#35: The Edge: Houston Astros
In 2014, the Houston Astros were the laughing stock of Major League Baseball, if not all of sports. But just 3 years later, they were World Champions.Was it brilliant coaching? Exceptional talent evaluation? Superior player development? Or ...
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1:01:01
S1 Ep#34: Caught
Roughly 53,000 juveniles are in some form of lockup. Nearly 60 percent are black or Latino. We all make dumb mistakes when we’re young. But for these kids, those “dumb mistakes” have a lasting impact.This week we talk to Kai Wright, host of...
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1:01:50
S1 Ep#33: Do No Harm
A child is injured. The injury is diagnosed as being the result of abuse and the child is removed from the parents’ home. Another child saved?Not in this case. Misdiagnoses can leave children scarred, parents distraught and families t...
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1:07:05
S1 Ep#32: Articles of Interest
Why do kids' clothes have pockets?What’s a chambray shirt?Should I burn my cargo shorts?If you have a question about what’s in your closet, don’t miss this episode.This week we talk to Avery Trufelman, creator and host of the aw...
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58:03
S1 Ep#31: Smithsonian Sidedoor
What’s the story behind Wonder Woman? Charles Ponzi’s scheme? Dynamite? The worst video game ever?The Smithsonian is home to over 150 million artifacts and every one of them has a backstory you wouldn’t learn during your average museum tour...
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1:03:53
S1 Ep#30: Other People's Lives
From clown fetishes to tales of hunting Bigfoot, the hosts of our next featured podcast have heard it all. Comedian and YouTuber, Joe Santagato and Greg Dybec are the hosts of Other People’s Lives, which features conversations with ano...
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58:13
S1 Ep#29: The Worldwide Tribe: Stories from the Refugee Crisis
The Worldwide Tribe podcast features the human stories of displaced people. Stories from those who fled religious, political or economic oppression in their home country, desperately looking for a better life. They’re the people behind...
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1:01:30
S1 Ep#28: Forgotten: Women of Juárez
Hundreds of women missing. Many of them ultimately found murdered. Discarded. No public outcry. Police inaction. The only people who seem to care are their devastated families. And our next guests.Mónica Ortiz Uribe and Oz Woloshyn are the ...
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1:03:39
S1 Ep#27: Everything is Alive
An introspective can of soda.A pillow with aspirations.A ten-dollar bill who questions its worth.If you thought everyday objects were inanimate, Ian Chillag wants you to think again.The host and creator of Everything is Aliv...
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59:06
S1 Ep#26: Uncover
Uncover is an investigative series from CBC Podcasts. With 8 seasons in the books and more on the way, now is the time to check it out if you haven’t already.This week we feature the investigative, true-crime pod and talk to Arif N...
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1:04:07
S1 Ep#25: Risk!
Imagine your most private, deepest, darkest secret.Got it?Now imagine standing on a stage and telling that secret, in intimate detail, to a couple hundred strangers.Then imagine it’s recorded, published as a podcast, and made availa...
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1:06:13
S1 Ep#24: Canary: The Washington Post Investigates
Two women are sexually assaulted 35 years apart but their cases are inextricably linked. This week we speak with Amy Brittain, an investigative reporter and host of the podcast Canary: The Washington Post Investigates. It...
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59:31
S1 Ep#23: Bodies
Autism. Postpartum depression. Painful sex.Serious health issues for women are often misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or dismissed, which can lead to additional physical complications. But the mental toll is equally crippling. T...
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57:13
S1 Ep#22: Twenty Thousand Hertz
What’s the story behind the theme from Seinfeld?What about the Netflix audio logo?How did they create the sound effects for the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park?If you have a question about sound, our next guest...
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1:06:57
S1 Ep#21: Presidential
John Adams was the first president not to attend the inauguration of his successor.Millard Fillmore couldn’t read until he was 17.George Washington was a great dancer.The Washington Post’s Lillian Cunningham knows everything you wou...
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1:18:35