By Steve Graham
Two years ago, I offered this list of Colorado podcasts. Several of those shows are still going strong. PROCO360 still posts interesting new interviews with entrepreneurs twice a month, and Colorado Edition still updates weekly (and has some valuable ballot information right now).
Unfortunately, several other Colorado podcasts have gone dormant. So you need more podcasts in your feed (your commute isn’t getting any shorter and your chores aren’t doing themselves). Here are a few new picks.
As you listen and subscribe to them, please consider offering financial support to keep them afloat. Podcasts and other media may be free to consume, but they are not free to produce.
Each weekday, the Colorado Sun newspaper offers a wide-ranging podcast with a timely conversation, a brief Colorado history story and a news roundup – all in 20 minutes or less. The main topic of the podcast is often political or environmental, but recently also included interviews about sports cartoons and Colorado music.
Another weekday podcast, City Cast is both more focused and more eclectic than the Daily Sun-Up. It’s very Denver-centric and skews to a somewhat younger audience, but the podcast is really wide-ranging. September closed with a week on Denver pizza, and October topics have included Halloween costumes, suburban water issues and a profile of Sen. Michael Bennet.
Colorado Public Television’s long-running Friday evening politics roundtable translates very well to podcast form. Hear expert voices from across the political spectrum diving into local politics in an informative and entertaining dialogue. It’s a great way to stay informed in just 30 minutes a week, and is invaluable when the state legislature is in session. Video episodes also are available.
The DNVR, a comprehensive Colorado sports website, has 11 sports podcasts — on the Broncos, Nuggets and Avalanche, college sports, golf, rugby, fantasy sports and sports wagers. Even though the Rockies season is over, I’m vouching for the baseball version in particular on the recommendation of our resident Rockies superfan, who has tried out all the Rox podcasts. Listen to a daily discussion of the boys of summer, even in the off-season, with guest appearances from players and management.
I love a good limited-series podcast. They provide in-depth explorations of a topic with a finite commitment. I have already plugged Colorado Public Radio’s The Taxman series, an invaluable primer on the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights and state finances. CPR more recently crafted a four-part series, ostensibly on the FasTracks line to Boulder, but really about development, transportation and growth in the Denver area. It’s worth a listen for longtime Colorado residents and newcomers alike.
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts also posted a podcast that is as creative and well-produced as the center’s live shows. The compelling and excellent four-part series is a Mile High mystery that combines a fictional tale with local history and a Denver scavenger hunt.
Honorable Mention
Click here for a closer look at History Colorado’s Lost Highways: Dispatches from the Shadows of the Rocky Mountains podcast.
Let us know if we missed your favorite Colorado-based podcast.