iHM Reveals First Slate of NextUp Initiative Podcasts

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, June 29, 2022 | 11:26am CT

iHeart Podcast Network

iHeartMedia has announced the first slate of podcasts from its NextUp Initiative. iHM says NextUp aims to empower participants of all backgrounds by giving them the tools to succeed in the podcast industry: from developing and marketing a podcast to using software. The first podcast in the slate, "Beauty Translated," debuts Wednesday. Hosted by Carmen Laurent, the show focuses on the transgender community in the South and touches on their experiences with coming out, launching careers and family life.

"As a transgender woman, it's very important to me that my community's stories are shared," said Laurent. "The NextUp Initiative has given me the tools and platform to do just that, and it's been so inspiring to learn from industry-leading experts in the podcasting world to create a show that really amplifies our voices."

Over the next six months, iHeartMedia will launch the full upcoming slate of shows from all eight of its NextUp fellows, covering a range of topics from the working class to Native American identity.

"We're thrilled to see the results of the hard work and passion that each and every creator put into their podcast," said NextUp Co-Founder and iHeartPodcasts Managing Executive Producer Anna Hossnieh. "Each show tells a different story around an incredibly important, but often overlooked issue, and the creativity we've seen here is just astounding. This is really just the beginning of what these creators will do."

The full NextUp initiative slate of 2022 podcasts:

• Beauty Translated
• BFF: Black, Fat Femme (Premiering July 12)
• Tongue Unbroken (Premiering August 1)
• Partition (Premiering August 15)
• On Call with Kay-B (Premiering September 2022)
• When You're Invisible (Premiering October 2022)
• Survivors Heal with Oya L. Sherrills (Premiering November 2022)
• We, The Product (Premiering December 2022)

The entire slate of NextUp shows will be distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network.