Hillary Clinton will launch a podcast this spring styled after radio host Howard Stern’s show, Politico reports.
The idea for the podcast, which will be co-produced by iHeartMedia, the radio giant whose roster includes names like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck, was hatched after Clinton was interviewed on Conan O’Brien’s podcast.
“Conan just exudes enthusiasm about this platform and he does these interviews that are really evergreen and the idea with her, in part inspired by that experience, is to do the same thing,” a source close to Clinton told Politico. “She wants to try to have a wider-ranging conversation that will be lasting, so you can listen to it in a year or you can listen to it tomorrow and it will be interesting. And then of course she’ll do some ranting and raving about news of the day.”
Clinton plans “Stern-style” show:
Clinton wants the show to be similar to Stern’s, after she went on his show last year following decades of avoiding him.
“It was an incredible experience,” said the person close to Clinton. “We’ve been thinking through based on that experience how to create a similar format.”
“There is some irony that Clinton has gravitated to doing a podcast. As Stern repeatedly shows, what makes for a great interview is when a subject opens up and offers windows into character, motivation, relationships — the very things that Clinton the candidate was often unwilling to do,” Politico noted. “Her guardedness led critics to regard her as ‘inauthentic,’ which arguably harmed her two presidential campaigns.”
Clinton plans “Robin Quivers-like sidekick”:
Clinton’s show is expected to feature famous guests, as well as a “Stern-inspired ensemble plucked from the larger universe of Hillaryland to help loosen her up.”
Clinton’s team is also searching “inside her organization for a Robin Quivers-like sidekick,” Politico reported.
“Stern has a cast of characters,” said the person close to Clinton. “So could you have some people on the show in her orbit who are interesting but not necessarily guest-worthy? And then hopefully there’s some irreverence involved.”
