Rephonic
Artwork for Press Play

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

KCRW
California
Los Angeles
Singlehood
Gaza
Israel
Hamas
Donald Trump
Climate Change
Supreme Court
Marriage Equality
Homelessness
Heavy Rain
Racist Trees
Iran
Pandemic Education
Natural Disasters
Atmospheric Rivers
14th Amendment
LGBTQ Rights
Peter Mcgraw

Host Madeleine Brand looks at news, culture and emerging trends through the lens of Los Angeles.

PublishesDailyEpisodes1104Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
News

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Press Play

Latest Episodes

Plus, war in Iran may be a boon for California pistachio farmers, our weekend film reviews, and what to bake for Passover and Easter with Good Food’s Evan Kleiman.

Plus, President Trump’s shifting goals in Iran, how American children became such picky eaters, and safety tips for rattlesnake encounters on hiking trails.

Plus, the Supreme Court hears a case that could redefine birthright citizenship, high gas prices push drivers to e-bikes, and rapper IDK served time and found freedom in music.

Plus, the IOC bans trans athletes, our weekend movie reviews, including arthouse body horror and a Vince Vaughn crime caper, and Evan Kleiman on how to cook an underappreciated vegetable: the leek.

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Rio Eveleth
Host of Tested podcast
NPR's Embedded and CBC
Episode: The déjà vu of the 1970s oil shock after a Middle East war
David Gibbs
Professor of history
University of Arizona
Episode: The déjà vu of the 1970s oil shock after a Middle East war
Jane Thornton
IOC medical and scientific director
IOC
Episode: The déjà vu of the 1970s oil shock after a Middle East war
Annabelle Gurwitch
Writer and actress, author of The End of My Life is Killing Me, The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker
Self-published/promotional through memoir and book tour
Episode: Writer Annabelle Gurwitch on the ‘unexpected joys’ of cancer
Gregory Gause
Associate fellow at the Middle East Institute
Middle East Institute
Episode: Writer McKay Coppins on his 'year as a degenerate gambler'
McKay Coppins
Atlantic staff writer; cover story subject for April issue
The Atlantic
Episode: Writer McKay Coppins on his 'year as a degenerate gambler'
James Blake
Musician, songwriter and producer
Self/James Blake
Episode: James Blake’s ‘Trying Times’ and how he sees the world
Hazel Davalos
Co-executive director of CAUSE (Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy)
CAUSE
Episode: Fallout for the farmworker movement Cesar Chavez led
Laurie Flores
Historian at Columbia University and author of Grounds for Dreaming
Columbia University
Episode: Fallout for the farmworker movement Cesar Chavez led

Host

Madeleine Brand
Host of Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 192 ratings
  • Taylor Lorenz??? REALLY?

    I’m sorry, but having on Taylor Lorenz—a known liar and hack—who has turned chicanery and gaslighting into an (albeit bumpy) career path has destroyed my respect for this show. Listening to her try to gaslight and shame us into denying our own critical thinking skills is audience abuse and I won’t take it. I’m so sick of being spoken down to by professional trolls like Taylor. Respect your audience and their intellect.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Xoxo79
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great show, love KCRW, can’t go wrong!!

    Great show, love KCRW, can’t go wrong!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ZephyrDogTown
    United States2 years ago
  • Madeleine Bernadotte??

    Love the show! It’s my favorite show! But has anyone noticed that it says the host is Madeleine Bernadotte at Apple Podcast??

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Allen in the hills
    United States3 years ago
  • A Must Listen for Californians and beyond

    Love Madeline and Press Play! A must listen to be plugged into everything LA and California.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SonmonGoodMon
    United States4 years ago
  • Interview with Adrian Bonnenberger (military)

    I really appreciate hearing the interview with the army officer who is trying to get his interpreter out. This is a humanitarian catastrophe which will be forgotten unless Biden takes more action.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Zozobutt
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

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

The host is described as engaging and thoughtful, with a signature interviewing style that some find compelling and others find uneven.
Listeners appreciate the mix of local LA focus with broader national and international context.
Guests and topics are generally insightful and well-researched, though some critics feel the show leans into opinion on controversial issues.

Top News Podcasts

The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
Serial
SerialSerial Productions & The New York Times
Candace
CandaceCandace Owens
Pod Save America
Pod Save AmericaPod Save America
The Tucker Carlson Show
The Tucker Carlson ShowTucker Carlson Network
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The MeidasTouch PodcastMeidasTouch Network
The Ben Shapiro Show
The Ben Shapiro ShowThe Daily Wire

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Writer Annabelle Gurwitch on the ‘unexpected joys’ of cancer
Q: What was the moment you realized you were facing stage four cancer, and how did that change your outlook?
She recalls the abrupt realization, the emotional upheaval, and the immediate shift from a typical life to a world where health and daily routines became unpredictable, which led her to seek new sources of meaning and community.
Writer McKay Coppins on his 'year as a degenerate gambler'
Q: What prompted you to self-exclude after the Super Bowl?
Seeing the toll on time and my relationships, recognizing red flags, and deciding a formal self-exclusion could legally bar action from sportsbooks, which stopped the gambling escalation.
Writer McKay Coppins on his 'year as a degenerate gambler'
Q: Did you think you could beat the house, and what did you experience as losses mounted?
I believed the next bet would win, which pulled me deeper into the habit; the system's design and delayed feeds let the house move lines and I felt a spiraling pull toward chasing losses.
What makes good casting as the Oscars add a new category
Q: How do you define good casting and what criteria do you use when voting?
Good casting is a collaborative process that matches actors to the director's style and the film's needs, focusing on how seamlessly the performances fit the overall movie and how effectively the casting serves the storytelling; voting criteria involve how distinct and appropriate the nominees feel within the context of their films and the voting members' values.
Why air power alone is destined to fail in the Iran War
Q: What is the smart bomb trap and why does it pose a risk to escalation?
The smart bomb trap refers to overconfidence in the success of targeted bombing coupled with overestimating control over political outcomes, which leads to escalating actions that do not yield regime change and can provoke backlashes and broader conflict.

Audience Metrics

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions About Press Play

What is Press Play about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A city-focused current events show that blends hard news, cultural analysis, and policy context through interviews with journalists, policymakers, artists, and thinkers. Episodes often pair LA-area concerns—homelessness, public safety, local governance, and economic issues—with broader national and international angles, thanks to a mix of guests who provide on-the-ground reporting, historical perspective, and cultural insight. Regular conversations with high-profile guests are balanced by locally grounded reporting, making the program a go-to for listeners who want thoughtful, context-rich dialogue about California and its place in global trends. A standout pattern is the thoughtful host-driven interview style that surfaces nuanced viewpoin... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Press Play?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Press Play. 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 Press Play and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Press Play get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Press Play, 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 Press Play?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Press Play, 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 Press Play have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Press Play 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 Press Play?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Press Play:

1. KCRW's Left, Right & Center
2. The Business
3. Fresh Air
4. Good Food
5. The New Yorker Radio Hour

How many episodes of Press Play are there?

Press Play launched 12 years ago and published 1104 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 Press Play?

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 Press Play?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Press Play 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 Press Play?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Press Play. 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 Press Play?

Recent guests on Press Play include:

1. Rio Eveleth
2. David Gibbs
3. Jane Thornton
4. Annabelle Gurwitch
5. Gregory Gause
6. McKay Coppins
7. James Blake
8. Hazel Davalos

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days