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Houston Matters

Houston Public Media
Houston
Texas
Houston Public Media
Artemis II
World Cup
Harris County
ICE
Houston, United States
Houston ISD
Fort Bend County
Immigration
Donald Trump
Education
Iran
University Of Houston
Baylor College Of Medicine
Texas School Vouchers
2021 Winter Freeze
Houston Independent School District
Texas Education Agency

Houston Matters is a radio program airing weekdays at 9 am on Houston Public Media News 88.7 FM in Houston. During each hour, we’ll investigate the issues and ideas, people and places that make Houston…well…Houston! We’ll talk about current events, politics, education, health care, the environment, business, transportation, arts and culture, literature, sports and leisure. But we also hope that wh... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes129Founded14 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Daily NewsNewsSociety & Culture

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Artwork for Houston Matters

Latest Episodes

On Friday's show: We bring you radio from another era -- sort of. We’re broadcasting live from Meow Wolf Houston’s Radio Tave. The interactive museum celebrates its two-year anniversary Saturday. The Fifth Ward art installation takes you inside a sor... more

On Thursday's show: We reflect on the life and legacy of labor activist Dolores Huerta, who died this week at the age of 96. Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers union to improve working conditions in the nation’s fruit and vegetable fields and ... more

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: We take a trip through a local haunted house attraction.

And we discuss the wide variety of Halloween events taking place across Greater Hous... more

On Tuesday's show: New survey data from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs looks at likely Texas voters' views on data centers and AI.

Also this hour: With tipping being an option at just about any kind of business these days... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Andrew Schneider
Senior politics reporter at Houston Public Media
Houston Public Media
Episode: Finding Shackleton’s ship (Oct. 23, 2026)
Mensun Bound
Maritime archaeologist who led the expedition that discovered Shackleton's Endurance
Episode: Finding Shackleton’s ship (Oct. 23, 2026)
Niamh McEllhatton
Executive Director of the Atlantic Shackleton Global Foundation
Atlantic Shackleton Global Foundation
Episode: Finding Shackleton’s ship (Oct. 23, 2026)
Joy Sewing
Houston Chronicle news columnist
Houston Chronicle
Episode: Finding Shackleton’s ship (Oct. 23, 2026)
David Branham
Professor of political science at the University of Houston-Downtown
University of Houston-Downtown
Episode: Finding Shackleton’s ship (Oct. 23, 2026)
Mustafa Tamiz
Media and public affairs consultant and CEO of Outreach Strategists
Outreach Strategists
Episode: Finding Shackleton’s ship (Oct. 23, 2026)
Ben Jackson
Magician and host of Magic Music and Mayhem
Episode: Finding Shackleton’s ship (Oct. 23, 2026)
Jamie Salinas
Magician and first vice president of the Houston Association of Magicians
Houston Association of Magicians
Episode: Finding Shackleton’s ship (Oct. 23, 2026)
Luke Metzger
Executive director of Environment Texas
Environment Texas
Episode: ‘Forever chemicals’ in bayous (Oct. 22, 2026)

Host

Craig Cohen
Host of Houston Matters

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 120 ratings
  • Insightfully informative & fun

    So glad to have this program available to Houston ! Objectively approachable discussions about issues THAT MATTER to Houstonians.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Scubarru
    United Statesa year ago
  • Extreme political bias

    It’s so unfortunate that so many great shows have been ruined by their obsession with partisan politics with no attempt at neutrality. Any deviation from the narrow minded, bigoted opinions of the producers is heresy because their tribe lose an election 2 1/2 years ago. I would have rated zero stars if not for the excellent content pre TDS. Hopefully rationality and openness to diversity of opinion will return eventually but I couldn’t justify donating to HPM anymore. I still listen occasionall... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Nostrathomas.
    United States4 years ago
  • Special Edition

    I am typically a fan of this show when it’s led by Craig Cohen & I have appreciated the local doctors and scientists that have contributed, but Ernie Manouse is insufferable and the way he treated a guest today by inserting his own political views (the guest had covid - his family got it & he said he’s a moderate, he asked for feedback on the media’s role in where we’re at, and the guy answered and he said he didn’t agree and just was patronizing) - if you don’t want politics inserted, then stic... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Ehodges05
    United States6 years ago
  • Give it a rest

    I used to listen to this show for daily local news. In recent months the fear mongering and aggrandizement of COVID related issues is insufferable. There’s a way of reporting the facts without sensationalizing it, Houston Matters should aim for that goal. Even the tone of the reporting is overkill. Every time I try to listen I hear myself saying “give it a rest!”

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Ayjayrose
    United States6 years ago
  • Partisan

    If you enjoy one-sided, bias discussions, you will enjoy this dumpster fire.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    htx2020!
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Balanced, informative Houston-focused coverage that avoids fluff.
High-quality local reporting that helps Houstonians understand regional issues.
Listeners appreciate practical, local context and expert guests.
Some listeners feel the show leans political; neutral framing and diverse guests could help broaden appeal.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#233
United States/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#144
India/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#205
Taiwan/News/Daily News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The week in politics (Oct. 21, 2026)
Q: What has life been like for you growing up in a post-9/11 America, and let's face it, periods of greater and lesser incidents of Islamophobia?
Samih Harisvi describes support from family and Muslim peers alongside hostility she encountered on social media. Alyan Hashmani recalls family caution around religion and politics and being questioned at school after borrowing a book about Osama bin Laden.
The week in politics (Oct. 21, 2026)
Q: Why have we not seen very many debates?
Mark Jones says candidates who are ahead may avoid giving rivals a platform or risking a damaging performance. Nancy Sims adds that Biden's 2024 debate performance made debates seem more consequential, increasing campaigns' risk calculations.
ICE incident under scrutiny (Oct. 19, 2026)
Q: How is Musk's dramatic surge in money into this and other races changing who is spending big money in Texas politics today and why?
Birenbaum says Musk's contribution has helped Republicans fund large outside spending in Texas, and reflects a donor coalition increasingly reliant on wealthy individuals to support competitive races.
ICE incident under scrutiny (Oct. 19, 2026)
Q: What have FIEL and Parra-Hernandez's attorney said about his custody and medical care?
Espinoza says Parra-Hernandez still needs surgery and that his mental health has declined while he is guarded by ICE agents in his hospital room.
Effect of AI on literacy (Oct. 20 2026)
Q: How much of High Noon is a response to Carl Foreman's experience with the Hollywood blacklist?
Glenn Frankel says Foreman identified with the marshal seeking help from an unsupportive community while facing a HUAC subpoena, and that the film critiques the Red Scare and institutions that failed to defend free speech.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
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Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Houston Matters

What is Houston Matters about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A Houston-focused public affairs program delivers timely coverage across politics, education, health, and local policy, interleaving hard news with practical guidance and cultural segments. Episodes frequently feature regional governance, school AI policy, health guidance from pediatric experts, energy market context, and community voices from arts, sports, and local journalism. A notable strength is balancing rigorous reporting with accessible, everyday relevance for Houstonians, plus regular in-studio guests who illuminate policy and culture at the city level.

Where can I find podcast stats for Houston Matters?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Houston Matters. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Houston Matters and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Houston Matters get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Houston Matters, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Houston Matters?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Houston Matters, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Houston Matters have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Houston Matters has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Houston Matters?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Houston Matters:

1. Texas Standard
2. Texas Take
3. Houston Public Media Newscasts
4. Today, Explained
5. Texas Tribune TribCast

How many episodes of Houston Matters are there?

Houston Matters launched 14 years ago and published 129 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Houston Matters?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Houston Matters?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Houston Matters from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Houston Matters?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Houston Matters. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Houston Matters?

Recent guests on Houston Matters include:

1. Andrew Schneider
2. Mensun Bound
3. Niamh McEllhatton
4. Joy Sewing
5. David Branham
6. Mustafa Tamiz
7. Ben Jackson
8. Jamie Salinas

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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