Los Audio: June 30 - July 13th
A new season of Electric Futures, pitch Good Tape, and Emma's birthday
Happy birthday to me!
Time insists on hurtling forward and my body insists upon aging. Yee-haw, baby!
Oh, and also July 4th… Forgot about that one. Happy holidays to all my fellow Cancers – the fireworks are for you!
Electric Futures is launching its second season!
I was blown away by Season 1: Lithium Valley, and I’m super excited for the next one!
The USC Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication is pleased to announce the launch of season two of Electric Futures, a podcast that focuses on the people and communities on the frontlines of the energy transition.
In Your Community, Electrified, the four-episode arc dropping on June 25, 2025, host Chip Zukoski explores a new neighborhood in Southern California that was built with climate disasters in mind. This community and other building projects like it generate and store their own energy, bypassing the electric grid – and blackouts.
Read the full press release here.
Listen to the podcast on Spotify.
Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Listen to the podcast on Amazon Music.
Follow along on Instagram at @usc_electricfutures.
Listen to the trailer here!
And, of course, check out lead producer and USC Annenberg adjunct professor
Mallory Carra’s Substack
while you’re listening :)DEADLINE: Pitch Good Tape for their next issue!
Good Tape Magazine is a publication dedicated to the craft, culture, and impact of podcasting, made for and by journalists and podcasters.
The next issue’s theme is Threat – examining the all-encompassing threats we face in 2025 and how podcasting is either responding, contributing, or contextualizing those threats. (More info about us and the call for “threat” pitches can be found here.)
Good Tape is seeking cultural criticisms, personal essays, features, and reported pieces.
Rates range from $400 to $1750 for an article. The deadline is TODAY!
California Press Rights Tracking Doc
The Committee to Protect Journalists has put together this document tracking journalists’ rights in California, it’s worth checking out if you are a reporter or even just an Angeleno interested in freedom of the press and community reporting.
⭐ APPLICATIONS OPEN ⭐ AIR Media's New Voices Public Radio Fellowship
AIR has launched the New Voices Public Radio Fellowship, an eight-week program designed to support and elevate mid-career professionals in public media.
Over eight weeks, selected fellows will receive a $1,000 stipend, connect with mentors, and join weekly sessions led by special guests from public radio stations across the country. You’ll build skills, expand your network, and tap into real-world insights from the field. The program will run in September and October 2025.
This new initiative will offer mentorship, strategic development, and collaborative learning for up to 16 individuals working as reporters, hosts, producers, and editors in public media newsrooms or the podcasting space.
A cornerstone of the 2025 New Voices cohort experience is the capstone project: a well-formed story pitch. Fellows will have the unique opportunity to workshop and refine their story ideas and pitches with their peers and mentors. The program culminates in a live pitch session to a panel of influential decision-makers from NPR and member stations, providing an invaluable opportunity for direct feedback and potential project development.
Applications close Sunday, July 6th, at 11:59 PM ET.
Talk: BCB x NPR Present KULEANA by Sara Kehaulani Goo
Bel Canto Books and NPR are delighted present a conversation with Sara Kehaulani Goo, author of KULEANA: A STORY OF FAMILY, LAND, AND LEGACY IN OLD HAWAI'I and David Greene of KCRW.
Sara Kehaulani Goo is a journalist and senior news executive who has led several news organizations including Axios, NPR and The Washington Post. She is the former editor-in-chief at Axios, where she launched the company’s editorial expansion into national and local newsletters, podcasts and live journalism. Before Axios, she led online audience growth as a managing editor at NPR, overseeing the newsroom's digital news operation. Goo also served as news director at The Washington Post, where she also served as a business editor and reporter.
David Greene is an award-winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author.
He hosts the weekly public radio program and podcast, Left, Right & Center, whose
mission is to remind us that we can still listen to one another - even when we disagree,
and even in this political climate.
For nearly a decade, David hosted NPR’s Morning Edition as well as NPR’s popular
morning news podcast, Up First, guiding listeners through turbulent elections, a
world-altering pandemic and fights for social change in our country. David stepped away from Morning Edition in 2021 and co-founded a new company, Fearless Media, which collaborates with KCRW and PRX to produce Left, Right & Center.
📅 July 1st
⏰ 6:45 PM - 9:00 PM
6:45PM - Event check-in begins
7:00pm - Welcome & event start
7:15-8:00pm - Author reading, conversation, and Q&A
8:00pm-9:00pm - Book signing & shopping time
👤 Bel Canto Books and NPR
💰 Free to attend, $32.48 for a signed book
🎟️ Tickets
Workshop: First Wednesday's B.Y.O.E. Workshop
Join us First Wednesdays for our Basic Engineering Class!
Become your own engineer at our B.Y.O.E. Basic Audio Engineering Class; this class is moving from first Thursdays to first Wednesdays!
Stop by and learn to become your own engineer; in this class we’ll cover the basics of home recording; microphone types, signal flow, and the basics of DAW production and operation.
Having trouble getting started & getting the sound you want in the studio or with your own home recording set up? this is the perfect class for you to up level your recording techniques & become your own engineer.
This is a perfect starting point for new artists and producers alike; First Wenesday’s BYOE Basic Audio Engineer Class is FREE for monthly members and only $15 for non-members; each month we’ll cover how to get your sessions up and running as well as any extra tips or support you need to get the most out of your Secret Spot DTLA Sessions.
What Will We Cover:
Studio Basics & Audio Engineering
-Recording / Signal Flow
-Microphone Types
-DAW Basics
📅 July 2nd
⏰ 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
👤 Studia Miscue Artist Laboratories
💰 $17.85 (after fees)
🎟️ Tickets
Talk: Six Months After the Fires - Stories Shared, Lessons Learned
It’s been nearly six months since January’s fires devastated Altadena, Pacific Palisades and communities across Los Angeles. As residents and businesses navigate the recovery process, what lessons can be learned from those who have already been down this road? In this live event, LAist climate and environment reporter Erin Stone (she/her) will talk with survivors of other fires to learn what can be expected—what glimmers of hope to look for and what roadblocks still remain.
📅 July 9th
⏰ 7:00 PM
👤 LAist
💰Free (first come, first serve) - $25 (guaranteed seating)
🎟️ Tickets
Live Taping: Go Fact Yourself LIVE with Paula Abdul
Go Fact Yourself is a pop culture trivia show hosted by J. Keith van Straaten (he/him)(Ask Me Another, Senior Writer) and Helen Hong (she/her) (Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me, recurring panelist).
On July 12th, singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality Paula Abdul (she/her) and TBD, plus surprise guest experts will join J. Keith and Helen for a trivia show like no other!
Register for free for general admission or reserve a guaranteed seat for $20. Bar concessions available starting at 6 p.m.
📅 July 12th
⏰ 7:00 PM
👤 LAist
💰Free (first come, first serve) - $20 (guaranteed seating)
🎟️ Tickets
Event: KCRW Summer Nights with LA Chinatown (New Date)
KCRW and Chinatown Summer Nights present a neon-lit experience in one of Los Angeles’ oldest neighborhoods. Bring the family to celebrate New Chinatown’s 87th anniversary! Shop legacy merchants, taste the culinary offerings of Chinatown’s chef-driven concepts, and dance the night away in Central Plaza with DJ Heidi Lawden and KCRW DJ Raul Campos.
SCHEDULE
5:00 PM Festivities begin!
8PM – 10PM KCRW DJ Raul Campos
10PM – 12AM Guest DJ Heidi Lawden
📅 July 12th
⏰ 8:00 PM
👤 KCRW
💰 Free
🎟️ RSVP
💻 Virtual Events 💻
Class: Grow Your Podcast and Expand Your Reach with Vertical Video
In today’s landscape producing an excellent podcast isn’t enough. If you are looking to grow your audience, engage more deeply with your existing community, and build your brand, you also need to show up on social media. While it may seem daunting, Brand Strategist Elosi Ikharo will show you how a simple social strategy driven by engaging vertical video can unlock your show’s growth and engagement potential. Elosi will show you how to begin building your own strategy powered by vertical video as well as practical tips to get started. As she’ll explain, you don’t need a whole team or expensive equipment to make it for yourself – all you need is your phone!
You’ll learn:
Basics of translating podcast episodes into vertical video, how to identify and create compelling podcast based content even if you don’t film your episodes
Simple techniques for optimizing your videos to appeal to the algorithm
Useful programs that can make content creation seamless
You’ll leave the course inspired and with the knowhow to begin creating optimized vertical video.
📅 June 30th
⏰ 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
👤 Radio Boot Camp
💰 $75
🎟️ Register
Class: How to Sound Like Yourself on the Mic
If you’ve started a podcast it’s likely you’ve dreamed of being behind the mic, and building a connection with your listeners who feel like you’re speaking directly to them. But then you hear the sound of your own voice and you become your own worst critic. Maybe you feel like you sound unnatural, or you have a sing-songy cadence that sounds more like a 5th grade book report.
This class will help you sound like yourself. We’ll go over best practices for recording narration and analyze examples from successful podcasts. Come prepared with a half-page of narration from your own podcast, whether it’s in development or out in the world. Everyone will have the opportunity to practice their narration skills with personalized coaching. We’ll also fine-tune your text to make sure it’s written well for listening rather than reading.
📅 July 10th
⏰ 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
👤 Radio Boot Camp
💰 $100
🎟️ Register
Submit an Event
Do you know of (or host!) a radio, podcasting, or audio event in LA? Shoot an email to losaudio@substack.com with the details! Include the date, time, location, any applicable links, and whether or not the event is recurring (along with any other relevant info, and maybe a photo of the best LA sunset you’ve seen recently.) Any kinds of events, meetups, and workshops are applicable.
Los Audio is a biweekly (every two weeks) newsletter – if your event is time-sensitive, please mention the timeframe you’d like it to appear and I’ll do my best to accommodate your request!