Prick up your ears for these 10 California-based podcasts:
COUNTDOWN TO CAPTURE
The Newport Beach Police produced this series to track down accused wife-killer Peter Chadwick, who jumped bail in 2015. The show’s website offers photos and clues for amateur sleuthing. Listen and help bring Chadwick to justice.
EAR HUSTLE
Go inside San Quentin with this inmate-produced show that explores prison life in surprisingly blunt ways. Hear about lockdowns, race issues and conjugal visits — there’s an episode titled “The Boom Boom Room.”
COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA PODCAST
Politicians, business titans and authors regularly take the stage at this storied public affairs forum. The club’s events are broadcast to radio, so podcasts are a natural extension. The volume is staggering, but with something for everyone.
YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS
This history show is always interesting, and the current season explores salacious tales from Hollywood’s past. Was Rudolph Valentino secretly gay? Was producer Thomas Ince murdered aboard William Randolph Hearst’s yacht?
ARMCHAIR EXPERT WITH DAX SHEPARD
Be an eavesdropper by listening to host Dax Shepard talk with guests like Ted Danson and Amy Schumer. The episodes are more conversations than interviews, and David Sedaris will forever change your opinion of book signings.
BAY CURIOUS
The ghost story of abolitionist Mary Ellen Pleasant? Those trolley tracks to nowhere? The origins of Green Goddess salad dressing? This weekly program from KQED explores fascinating mysteries and legends of the Bay Area.
CALIFORNIA TRUE CRIME
If you like “Serial,” you’ll love this show. It steers clear of infamous Golden State cases to focus on lesser-known crimes. A recent episode examined the murder of Ronni Chasen, an Alta “Cold Case.”
COMEDY BANG BANG
A weekly dose of funny from SoCal that mixes interviews with an open-door policy for drop-in guests. Hearing the likes of Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler and Sarah Silverman will make that 405 traffic almost bearable.
CALIFORNIA FOODWAYS
This show travels the state for stories about food, agriculture “and the people who make both possible.” Meet the Filipino pioneers of the Delano Grape Strike and a farmworker turned mole-making restaurant owner.
ALTA PODCAST
Every two weeks, we bring the pages of our magazine and website, as well as our events, to audio life through smart, entertaining conversations with our writers and story subjects.
