WTOP News Expands Content Offerings with Enhanced Top News Podcast
WTOP News announced “a major expansion of its podcast offerings with a reimagined Top News Podcast, transforming the product into a dynamic, on-demand extension of WTOP’s award-winning on-air news product.”
According to a release: ‘The enhanced Top News Podcast will deliver 12-14 episodes each weekday, providing listeners with concise 20-minute news updates refreshed hourly from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. WTOP will also produce a video version of the podcast for digital platforms. This new format is designed to mirror how Washington-area audiences consume news today: quickly, frequently and on demand.”
To support the launch, WTOP is looking to hire two full-time podcast host-producers who will lead daily production and serve as the editorial voices of the program.
“This new podcast represents a natural evolution of the WTOP brand,” said Julie Ziegler, Head of News and Programming for WTOP News. “It meets news consumers where they are – on more platforms than ever before – allowing us to grow our audience and develop new revenue streams.”
The release states that the Top News Podcast “has been part of WTOP’s content portfolio for more than six years. It originally launched as an automated feed featuring the first 30 minutes of WTOP’s hourly newscasts. In 2024, WTOP transitioned the podcast to a manually produced format, with content producers creating and publishing two daily episodes.
“This new business model combines the strengths of both approaches by leveraging WTOP’s unparalleled newsroom resources and expertise in producing hourly newscasts while delivering a professionally hosted, highly produced experience for listeners. Each episode will feature WTOP’s trusted reporting, anchored by original context and analysis from the podcast host.
“The project will be developed and supported in collaboration with Gamut Podcast Network, Hubbard Media That Connects’ dedicated podcast division launched in 2025. Gamut is home to award-winning podcasts such as American Nightmares and Behind the Song.”
The new podcast is expected to launch later this year.
