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Up North Lowdown

Interlochen Public Radio
Traverse City
Michigan
Interlochen Public Radio
Northern Michigan
Antrim County
Homelessness
North Lake Processing Center
Great Lakes
Winter Olympics
Data Centers
Kaila Kuhn
Climate Change
Ice Storm
Bellaire Dam
Bridge Michigan
Grand Traverse County
Winter Vinecki
Victoria Bishop
Line 5
Michigan Department Of Corrections

Nine minutes of northern Michigan, every weekday, featuring in-depth reporting from the Interlochen Public Radio newsroom, conversations with reporters and local newsmakers, and more.

PublishesDailyEpisodes314Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
News

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Artwork for Up North Lowdown

Latest Episodes

We'll get the latest on the F-16 fighter jet that crashed in Grand Traverse County Thursday.

Once upon a time, Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) was a quiet rural airport frequented by regional puddle-jumpers and small prop planes. Nowadays, jets, airliners, military aircraft and almost a million passengers from all over the world travel each yea... more

When wildfire smoke blanketed northern Michigan in July, a lot of us turned to the AQI, or air quality index, for guidance on how to protect ourselves. But gaps in Michigan’s air quality monitoring network, particularly in rural areas of northern Mic... more

The group Youth for Christ is suing Leland Township, which denied its permit to hold ministry activities at a building overlooking Leland's historic Fishtown harbor. Jacob Wheeler, editor of the Glen Arbor Sun, says the case has all the hallmarks of ... more

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Recent Guests

David Weinberg
Leader of the Transom Story Workshop
Transom Story Workshop / Interlochen Public Radio
Episode: An invitation from IPR, and a Line 5 update
Moira Battersby
Attorney for Dylan Leenheer
Flood Law Firm
Episode: MDOC lawsuit: Former inmate says ID photo altered with headdress, war paint
Charlie Brooks
Reporter for Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative
Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative
Episode: Getting to school
Joya Fishburne
Actor, guest on Mashup Rock and Roll Musical
Mashup Rock and Roll Musical
Episode: A Sesame Streetcar
Leslie Tai
Director of Mashup Rock and Roll Musical
Mashup Rock and Roll Musical
Episode: A Sesame Streetcar
Carol Rose
Director of the Women's Resource Center thrift stores in Traverse City
Women's Resource Center
Episode: More than a thrift store
Mike Kent
Freelance journalist who wrote about wineries adapting to downturn in alcohol consumption
Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative
Episode: Wine and goats
Michelle Perez
Director of 9 to 5 at Old Town Playhouse
Old Town Playhouse
Episode: Dolly Parton still working hard in northern Michigan
Katie Thoresen
News Director at WXPR Public Radio in Rhinelander, Wisconsin
WXPR Public Radio
Episode: A Line 5 spill, and the high cost of farming

Hosts

Ed Ronco
Host of Up North Lowdown (multiple appearances, Interlochen Public Radio)
Austin Rowlader
Host of Up North Lowdown, on-site reporting and weekday coverage

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 57 ratings
  • Appreciate the podcast!

    It’s not always easy to stay informed on what’s happening in northern Michigan, so I am grateful for this engaging, informing, concise and well-produced podcast!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MaryMichGal
    United States3 months ago
  • Love this format

    I don’t always catch the local news on IPR in the morning, so having this podcast is the next best thing. And if I miss a couple of days in a row, I have a full-blown podcast to listen to! The story choice and reporting are excellent. I appreciate the investigative reports like the Antrim County voter roll issue, and well as the human interest stories. Always worth a listen. I feel fortunate to have such a great local public radio station. Thanks to the hardworking staff at IPR.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MAT on Little Plattei
    United States3 months ago
  • Hurray!

    Glad you are back on a daily basis!

    Love the mix of stories…newsy, quirky, moving.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TC native abroad
    United States6 months ago
  • Feels like home when I’m away from home

    Life has taken me very far away from northern Michigan. I love listening and feeling like I’m back home again

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Beast 5419
    United States2 years ago
  • Consistently interesting

    Local, but not parochial

    Insightful and moving, but not cloying

    Funny

    Clever

    Loved

    What was Bob Moller’s day job??

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TC native abroad
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Show is appreciated for on-the-ground reporting and clear explanations of complex issues.
Episodes are consistently informative with a mix of hard news and human interest.
Listeners praise concise, engaging reporting and strong local focus.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How they kept teaching: A follow-up on the Interlochen report
Q: How did you receive this unredacted list and what is on it?
The reporter explains that a FOIA request yielded a list with 22 named alleged abusers, with additional partial redactions and more unknown identities; the list shows patterns of individuals moving between institutions after accusations.
Getting to school
Q: What are the practical implications for families and the school district?
Longer bus routes complicate daily life for students and families, potentially triggering transfers; the district faces a major budget challenge as subsidies depend on enrollment, and recovery timelines span many months to years due to permitting and funding hurdles.
Getting to school
Q: What drove you to start looking into the roads and the flooding impact on them?
A sense of curiosity and personal connection—a nearby bridge washed out by the floods highlighted how even small pieces of infrastructure can have outsized effects on students' daily routines and district funding.
An invitation from IPR, and a Line 5 update
Q: Tell us about those permits, the ones in the news this week. What are those challenges?
Vivian La explains that the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy issued water resources permits for Enbridge in mid-July, which relate to construction on Lake Bottomlands, and that Governor Whitmer has asked regulators to re-evaluate these permits in view of a prior Michigan Supreme Court ruling.
Dolly Parton still working hard in northern Michigan
Q: What about this show a year ago when you were choosing it, made you want to direct it?
Well, it's a show that reminds me of the cultural phenomena Dolly represented in the late 70s and early 80s, and I felt drawn to the real stories of these women, which still feel relevant today.

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 Up North Lowdown

What is Up North Lowdown about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A nine-minute weekday regional news show packs in in-depth reporting from a northern Michigan newsroom with conversations from reporters and local newsmakers. Episodes weave policy, environmental issues, and local governance into timely narratives—covering topics like water/public trust decisions on Line 5, environmental and climate impacts, and election coverage—alongside human-interest segments and on-the-ground reporting from the area. Noteworthy are cross-topic episodes that fuse policy analysis with accessible storytelling (including light, engaging framing via local musicians) and a strong emphasis on accountability, transparency, and community perspectives. Potential listeners will find a mix of hard-news, investigative context, and ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Up North Lowdown?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Up North Lowdown:

1. Points North | Great Lakes. Great Stories.
2. Antiques Roadshow Detours
3. Sidedoor
4. Reveal
5. This American Life

How many episodes of Up North Lowdown are there?

Up North Lowdown launched 3 years ago and published 314 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Up North Lowdown?

Recent guests on Up North Lowdown include:

1. David Weinberg
2. Moira Battersby
3. Charlie Brooks
4. Joya Fishburne
5. Leslie Tai
6. Carol Rose
7. Mike Kent
8. Michelle Perez

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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