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Our Favorite AZ-based Podcasts


Podcasts are great because you can throw them on as background noise to almost any unpleasant activity and it makes it significantly more enjoyable. Commute to work? Podcast. Cleaning the kitchen? Podcast. Grocery shopping? Podcast. SO nagging you? Podcast. Existential crisis as you lay awake staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m.? Podcast. You can learn something cool, get a good laugh, or simply feel connected to others. And since we love shouting out our fellow Arizonans, we’re going to be talking specifically about Arizona-based podcasts in this article! Check ‘em out ⬇️

1. Valley 101

Valley 101 is the quintessential podcast for all-things weird, wonderful, and interesting in Arizona. Topics range from rumored U.F.O. landings to AZ celebrities to lightrail and weather information. And that doesn’t even begin to scrape the surface! The weekly podcast’s premise is that users ask questions about goings-on in Arizona, and a team of journalists go out, investigate, and get answers. The podcast is made possible by The Arizona Republic and AZCentral. You can submit your own questions to valley101podcast.azcentral.com or tweet them on Twitter @Valley101pod .

2. Finding Arizona

Finding Arizona was created after founder Jose wandered into a screen printing shop in Tempe and had a conversation that inspired him to talk to more local entrepreneurs. It’s a weekly podcast that interviews local AZ business owners to get insights on their personal life, ideas, and how their business got started. Unlike Valley 101 which is told in narrative form by a single person, Finding Arizona captures the organic back-and-forth of lighthearted conversation between friends.

3. Johnjay & Rich: After Words

You may know Johnjay & Rich from their radio segment on 104.7 KISS FM, but little did you know, they have a podcast too! These guys apparently love to talk, but we’re not mad about it. The show is marketed as “stories they couldn’t get to or topics just not meant for radio!” Color us intrigued… At around 10 minutes each, these short, fun, digestible bits are a joy to listen to.

4. Glitches Get Stitches

Glitches Get Stitches is the product of longtime pals Jon Neal and Jeff Reese coming together to create wonderfully nerdy content of all kinds. They started with their podcast, on which they discuss everything from comics, movies, video games, and more. As long as it’s nerdy, it’s on the table! They’ve since expanded their reach into the streaming world, recruiting a scrappy band of talented, mostly AZ-based streamers to broadcast live gameplay to thousands of viewers on their Facebook page.

5. KJZZ’s The Show

If you want no-nonsense news about what’s going on around Arizona, this show is for you. The Show will keep you in the loop with everything you need to know. Think of it as a local newspaper in audio form, which is perfect for when you’re on the go and don’t have the ability to sit down and focus on reading print. 

What are your favorites?

Do you have any favorite AZ-based podcasts? We hope you enjoyed this list of ours! The valley is chock full of talented creatives, and we can’t wait to see what the next big thing will be.