Dave Pratt’s journey from radio’s “Morning Mayor” to podcast mogul.
For some time now – but particularly since the November election – legacy media has been having a serious reckoning with its declining influence.
The top news sources for college-age voters are now TikTok and Instagram. Among the four in 10 young people who voted for Donald Trump in 2024, 34 percent reported relying on podcasts for political news, with many citing his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience as the thing that tipped their vote. (The Times in the U.K. dubbed the 2024 U.S. presidential race “the first podcast election.”)
None of this surprises Dave Pratt. After amicably parting ways with country station KMLE at his last terrestrial radio job, in 2008, the veteran Phoenix radio deejay dove headfirst into podcasting. While KMLE’s owners, CBS Radio, kept Pratt on the payroll for two years, he sunk his time and money into leasing prime office space in Scottsdale’s Camelback Tower and investing in state-of-the-art equipment.
“Terrestrial radio and traditional media were not big fans of seeing digital succeed – until it did,” says Pratt, who started with just a streaming version of his familiar radio show, spinning ’80s hard rock and cracking jokes with a young sidekick. “But 15 years ago, their image of podcasts was some guy in a smoky basement with equipment from Radio Shack that sounded like he was talking into a tin can.
“I wanted to upscale the image of podcasting. I wanted this beautiful building overlooking Paradise Valley in Scottsdale with first-class equipment so that when people visit thinking about doing a podcast with us, we’re not looking at all how traditional media is trying to judge us.”
It’s been working. His podcast network, media production and distribution company, Star Worldwide Network, now hosts close to 200 podcast programs – more than half recorded at the studio, but others sent in from around the world. Its offshoot, Pratt Marketing Agency, handles all their clients’ marketing and social media campaigns in-house. Recently, he expanded his studio space and launched a new talk show, SWN Spotlight, hosted by fellow longtime Valley radio personality Mark Jeffrey (see below).
“Especially with this election, it made people realize how powerful the podcasting world is,” Pratt says. While some of the podcasts on his network ride the current wave of conservative political commentary – one top performer, Light Beer, Dark Money, hosted Kari Lake and tows the MAGA line – others are an eclectic mix. Next, Pratt’s got plans to bring back his old radio show as a podcast.
“We’re calling it Dave Pratt Now. And we don’t know what it’s gonna be. It’s like throwing a plate of pasta against the wall. We’ll see what sticks.”
Smooth Landing
Longtime airborne traffic reporter and former iHeart Radio broadcaster Mark Jeffrey recently came aboard Pratt’s Star Worldwide Network after a year with Phoenix-based VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network. Jeffrey’s three favorite things about podcasting:
1. Freedom to break the rules.
“In podcasting, you’re the boss of your show. No program directors, no FCC restrictions – just pure creativity. If you want to dive deep into a niche topic or share a 15-minute rant, go for it!”
2. Unlimited airtime.
“No more squeezing into rigid time slots or cutting off a great story for commercials. Podcasts let you explore topics as long – or short – as you want, and the audience sticks around because they chose to be there.”
3. Pay-to-play – at least for his show.
On Jeffrey’s new podcast, SWN Spotlight, he talks with local CEOs looking for a “visual résumé” to showcase their brand. “There is usually a fee or some other consideration to be a guest. If you are a Pratt Marketing client, you can be a guest on my show, create some great content and then our marketing agency will use that for your marketing campaign.”
