The latest media trend: don't just start a podcast, create a network

Trend alert: More and more creators are launching their own podcast networks. Not just to launch a show, but to build something bigger.

As traditional media companies cut back and ad dollars get tighter, former anchors, journalists, and producers are deciding not to wait for a green light. They’re building their own platforms, owning their audiences, and creating space for the kinds of conversations that legacy media often overlooks.

This shift isn’t just about journalism. Look at Alex Cooper, who turned Call Her Daddy into The Unwell Network and now backs other creators. Or Lauryn Bosstick, who expanded The Skinny Confidential into a full lifestyle brand under Dear Media.

And then there’s Megyn Kelly, who recently launched MK Media, a full podcast network featuring voices across politics and pop culture. The message is clear: creators don’t just want to host shows. They want to own the ecosystem.

One name dropped in this week’s Hollywood Reporter write-up on MK Media? Steve Krakauer. He’ll be overseeing the network’s show, and he’s been on this path for years, from launching his Fourth Watch podcast and newsletter to literally pitching a job that didn’t exist yet at CNN.

His advice for anyone thinking about taking the leap?

“One thing that I've always believed is if you're able to do something, just try it. No matter what it is. Things that feel like they might be a waste of time, even if they are a waste of time, are good experiences.”

It definitely takes that attitude to make it in this new world of creator-drive media empires. [Like, do we think Alex Cooper is thinking this about her time with Alix Earle…?]

Steve is an old friend and former NBC / CNN colleague of Melissa Blum’s, and a couple of years ago, he gave MTD an inside look at how thinks about building outside the system and making pivots before they’re popular.In fact, his POV feels even more relevant today than it was when we last chatted.

🔮 Read it here and use this approach for your next big pitch.