A political podcast dedicated to the North is back for a third season after record listener numbers.
BusinessCloud executive editor Chris Maguire and Michael Taylor, editor of BusinessDesk North West, launched Northern Spin in September 2022 and it’s become a mainstay of Apple’s Podcast Charts.
Download numbers are up 108 per cent in the last 30 days while subscriber numbers have grown by 30 per cent over the same period.
The podcast is made by Manchester-based production company What Media and the show’s sponsors – Oscar and Lily Shippen – have committed to sponsor all 10 episodes of Season 3.
Taylor, who describes himself as a ‘journalist and politico’, said: “We’re both passionate about the North and Northern Spin is highlighting issues that may otherwise be missed by the London-centric political media.
“Chris and I are regularly asked to talk on radio stations about Northern issues but the most rewarding part is the messages we receive from listeners all over the world.”
The duo are both former editors of North West Business Insider but come from different political backgrounds.
“Michael describes himself as more ‘centre-left’ while I’m more or a conservative with a small ‘c’ but we share this passion for the North,” said Maguire.
“Our absolute focus is providing insight into the politicians and political stories that shape the North.
“As well as the podcasts we’ve also hosted two live events and that’s only going to grow as we get closer to an election.
“The podcast started as being 30 minutes in duration but we’ve extended it to 45 minutes because we’ve got so much material to cram in.
“It seems to have brought the North together and we couldn’t have done it without the brilliance of What Media and support of our sponsors Oscar and Lily Shippen.”
Chris Townsend, managing director of What Media, said: “It’s been great for us to see Northern Spin go from strength-to-strength and to be part of that success.
“The podcast is building momentum every week, reaching new listeners and new areas all the time. Agreeing to do Season 3 was an easy decision for us to make?”
Andy Morrell, CEO of Oscar, said: “I live and work in the North and I’m passionate about anything that raises the profile of the region. That’s what Northern Spin does and we’re proud to be associated with the podcast.”
Lily Shippen, managing director and founder of Lily Shippen, said: “We have offices in Manchester and London and I’m proud to be from the North. One of the things I like most about Northern Spin is it makes politics interesting to different audiences. It’s a great to be associated with a podcast that is passionate about the North.”
You can listen to Northern Spin on Apple, Spotify and all the main podcast platforms.