I’m bringing back my podcast.
What better way to celebrate the anniversary, almost to the day, of my decision not to do a podcast any more than to announce I’m going to do a podcast again? It’s important to be flexible.
So two weeks from today, on September 16, I’ll launch the slightly delayed Season 4 of The Paul Wells Show. It’ll follow three seasons of smart conversation with leaders, thinkers and creators in Canada and abroad, which you can always find at this archive.
The show will be as you remember it: Thoughtful conversations with people who are dealing with the world’s most pressing problems. No gimmicks. A variety of perspectives. My guests in previous seasons included Jason Kenney, Anne Applebaum, Margaret MacMillan, kd lang, Musa al-Gharbi, Chantal Hébert, Bob Rae and plenty of others. My guests this season will be in a similar vein. We’ve already started recording episodes of the podcast’s new season.
What changed in a year? Maybe three things. First, if anything it’s become even clearer that we need to talk about important and interesting things. We’re living through a crucial moment in the life of our country and the world. Times like this demand that we make space to think and listen. My show was rapidly building an audience for these conversations when I lost a main funding source last summer. But the demand didn’t vanish just because the show went on hiatus.
Second, when I did return for occasional episodes — just because I had some audio that was worth sharing — the response from subscribers has been very strong. Episodes with Pierre Poilievre, Avi Lewis, my regular Panel and audio from my Road Shows showed that there’s still an audience for this work. I began to miss interacting with that audience.
And finally, I’ve found partners who get what I’m trying to do. Thanks to my Season Sponsors, Cameco and The Transition Accelerator, I’ve got the funding and logistical help I need to bring you a suite of weekly podcast episodes, live events, video and more, to really build out The Paul Wells Show in ways I couldn’t before.
You’ll be hearing me tell you more about these sponsors in each episode of The Paul Wells Show. But their support comes without strings. Nobody selects my guests except me, nobody tells me what to ask them. Cameco and The Transition Accelerator understand that one condition of progress has always been thoughtful conversation about important issues. That’s what I do, and that’s what they want to support. I’m grateful to have them on board.
Thanks for listening, reading, and caring about the work I do here. See you soon.
