Outside the Loop RADIO
Hosted by Mike Stephen · Albert James PROductions
4.8from 28 ratings
- 356
- Episodes
- 24
- Transcribed
- 28
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2020
- First episode
About Outside the Loop RADIO
Outside the Loop RADIO is Chicago's Almost Above-Ground Audio Magazine. Founded as a podcast in September 2006 and picked up for broadcast by Chicago Sound Alliance WLUW 88.7-FM in March 2007, "OTL" now airs on Chicago's Very Own 50,000-watt heritage powerhouse station WGN Radio 720-AM. Storyteller and urbanologist Mike Stephen hosts this weekly program featuring fun segments and interviews with local newsmakers, artists, musicians, and others doing cool stuff around the greater Chicago area. The show covers topics stories that don't always get mainstream media attention... and it's all presented with a strong and independent Chicago slant. http://outsidetheloopradio.com
- Publisher
- Albert James PROductions
- Category
- arts · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 4 Jan 2020
- Latest episode
- 24 Oct 2026
Latest episodes
24 of 356 episodes have a transcript.
24 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
OTL #1,045: The state of local news in 2026, New music from Harold Dawson, EveryVoice fills therapy gaps
17 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
OTL #1,044: Community support after a burglary, New music from Canoe Speed, Illinois' new clean slate law
10 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
OTL #1,043: Inhumane conditions in Illinois jails, MachMachines Musical Instruments has a new podcast
Inside a recent episode
OTL #1,045: The state of local news in 2026, New music from Harold Dawson, EveryVoice fills therapy gaps
Published 24 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] So, OK, where are we right now? I feel like every year we talk about this. It's newspapers. Where are we currently with with newspapers these days? Well, you know, yeah, we're losing three newspapers a week. And this is the highest rate of loss of newspapers that we've seen since we started doing this research five years ago. So the situation was bad before and now it's accelerating. And and so, you know, this this is happening because the business model for local news has the commercial business model has collapsed. Newspapers used to rely on advertising revenue for a big chunk of their income. […]
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See plansWho has been a guest on Outside the Loop RADIO
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Tim Franklin
- Harold Dawson
- Malcolm Brown
- Matt Greenwell
- Jay Shearer
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.7 / 5
- 21 ratings
- Spotify
- 5.0 / 5
- 7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 61
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 0
- Engagement
- 82
Contact Outside the Loop RADIO
- Guest appearances
- Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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Questions about Outside the Loop RADIO
Who hosts Outside the Loop RADIO?
Mike Stephen host the show. Published by Albert James PROductions.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Outside the Loop RADIO take guests?
The show does not typically feature guests, based on episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
24 of 356 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of Outside the Loop RADIO?
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