Tenderfoot TV: One Of Podcasting's Protectors

As podcasting continues to surge in popularity, what the audio format needs -- and deserves -- are stewards that protect it. That means podcast networks that emphasize quality, respect listeners, and install guardrails, so the format does not sink into the miasma of Twitter or into the dark underbelly of YouTube and TikTok.

 I think Tenderfoot TV is one of those stewards. There are others, such as Critical Frequency, Mash Up Americans, and Sonoro, among others. These networks are not trying to "flood the zone" with content, which is too often derivative and paint by numbers, to drive out competitors and recoup their investment. These networks believe in the continued viability of podcasting and its reputation, and don't go mudslinging, settling scores with political foes, or putting a smile emoji on hate speech. 

In this article, we'll talk briefly about Tenderfoot TV. Later articles will highlight these other podcast networks who protect podcasting from exploitation.

 Founded in 2016 by Atlanta director and independent filmmaker, Payne Lindsey, and music industry veteran, Donald Albright, Tenderfoot TV launched onto the podcasting scene with an award-winning true-crime podcast, Up and Vanished. The podcast became an international news story after influencing two arrests in a decade-old cold case. 

Unlike the assembly line feel of larger podcast networks like Spotify and iHeart, Tenderfoot TV has taken "an independent minded boutique approach to developing, producing, and marketing our podcasts. We don’t think like an assembly line with the goal of mass production, instead every project has its own unique identity. From the style of content creation, to the cover art, to the original score. Our team specializes in making each podcast a unique experience. But boutique doesn’t have to mean small."

A great example is Ciudad Mágica. In the podcast, local news reporter, Carolina Echegui, has always wanted to be taken seriously as a journalist in Miami. So when she learns of the disappearance of rising reggaetonera-influencer, Vicky Aranda, she views it as her big break. But what starts as a run-of-the-mill missing persons case, soon devolves into a dark tale of fame, deceit, and betrayal that begins to consume Carolina. Can she get to the bottom of it without losing herself in the process? Starring Stephanie Cayo and Tessa Ía, Ciudad Mágica is a crime thriller that explores how far two women will go to pursue their ambitions. 

The podcast is a collaboration between Sonoro and Tenderfoot TV. 

Other podcasts launched this year from Tenderfoot TV which might be worth considering:

Le Monstre: This podcast marks the newest installment to Tenderfoot TV’s award-winning “Monster” franchise. The 10-episode series takes you inside the mind of a real life monster: serial killer and kidnapper Marc Dutroux, who later became known as “Le Monstre.” Dutroux terrorized the country of Belgium during the 1980s-90s, abducting and murdering several young girls. Listeners will hear never-before-heard interviews with victims’ families, former police officers, psychologists, and more, as host and Belgium-local Matt Graves sheds light on new evidence from the cases and helps us understand why this terrible affair divided the country (and still does).

MLK Tapes: This podcast debuted in January 2022 and explores little-known facts and new information surrounding MLK’s assassination, and includes never before heard interviews with people who saw or did something the day Dr. King tragically left us. The podcast is hosted by Bill Klaber (author and co-host of the podcast The RFK Tapes), who has spent decades exploring the true story of what really happened to Dr. King.

Culpable: After a successful season one, Culpable returned in October 2022, this time focused on the case of Brittany Stykes, a 22-year-old pregnant mother from Ripley, Ohio who was driving with her 14-month-old daughter, when she was shot and killed. Yet, her daughter survived. In this season, hosts Dennis Cooper and Jessica Noll join the Brown County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation to uncover what happened to Stykes, and why. Cooper and Noll interview a number of people, including Craig Labell, the driver who first discovered Stykes on the side of U.S. Road 68; first responders at the crime scene; and even some of the case’s top persons of interest, alongside some current prisoners with intel to share. And for the first time, Cooper and Noll speak to Aubree Stykes, the now ten-year-old daughter and survivor of the incident.

Facing Evil: Back in 2019, sisters Rasha Pecoraro and Yvette Gentile revealed the true story of their dark family history in the hit podcast “Root of Evil.” In that show, the sisters traced their family lineage to George Hodel, the prime suspect in the infamous Black Dahlia murder case. Now, Pecoraro and Gentile are back with Facing Evil, a weekly true-crime show focused on different but equally resonant stories. The sisters discuss new cases each week, applying the lessons of healing they've learned in their quest to overcome generational trauma.

There are so many potential traffic jams on podcasting’s road to the media expressway. Podcast listeners already experience them now. Copycat shows. A true-crime apocalypse. Surging plagiarism. Lack of content moderation that is seriously Musk-like in its irresponsibility. Advertising that threatens to turn off listeners with broadcast TV-type ubiquity. 

However, amid the frenzy by some companies to capitalize on podcasting even if they ruin it eventually, podcast networks like Tenderfoot TV offer hope that assuming responsibility for podcasting's future and respecting the listeners will defeat the corporate carpetbaggers. 

As Leonardo da Vinci once said, "He who wishes to be rich in a day will be hanged in a year."