Yeardley Smith’s Paperclip Ltd Announces Launch of Podcast Network Audio 99

Today, award-winning production and development company Paperclip Ltd founders, Yeardley Smith and Ben Cornwell announce the launch of a new podcast network, Audio 99. From the makers of hit podcasts “Small Town Dicks” and “The Briefing Room,” the Audio 99 network will remain fiercely independent with projects that share the first-hand experiences of ordinary people who are having an extraordinary impact on their communities.

Audio 99, which will operate as a subsidiary of Paperclip Ltd, is in the process of developing and releasing a slate of new shows. First, a historical true crime series called “Beyond Recognition: The Ruxton Murders” set to debut July 19, 2024. Based on the forensic science bestseller, “Ruxton: The First Modern Murder” by legendary Scottish detective Tom Wood, the series delves into the 1935 disappearance of a glamorous young mother and her dutiful maid, whose deaths resulted in one of the most important investigations the world had ever seen at that time. The case led to groundbreaking forensic techniques that would forever change how violent crimes are solved. Paperclip Ltd. optioned the rights to Wood’s book in 2022.

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Audio 99 is also in production on season one of the talk series, “Can’t Yeardley Wait!” The show, hosted by Smith in her own living room, has her sitting down for inviting, funny, honest conversations with guests Smith is passionate about getting to know. With guests including actors, writers, athletes; people at the top of their game across a wide variety of professions, “Can’t Yeardley Wait!” invites guests to share their favorite personal stories as the gateway to a lively conversation listeners haven’t heard before.

With the launch of the new network comes the renewal of the award-winning true crime podcast “Small Town Dicks” for seasons 15 and 16, which has now exceeded 50 million downloads, and “The Briefing Room” for season three - all under the Audio 99 banner. Both series take listeners behind closed doors to hear the real-life experiences of law enforcement as they investigate their most memorable cases and dig into the complex relationship between officers and the communities they’re sworn to serve.

“Audio 99 is about true stories told by the people who lived them,” said co-founder Yeardley Smith. “With Audio 99 our mission is to continue to bring our listeners the kind of podcasts they want to stay in the car and keep listening to, well after they’ve arrived at their destination because they’re totally hooked.”

“Building on the success of shows like ‘Small Town Dicks’ and ‘The Briefing Room,’ Audio 99 projects will continue to be driven by storytellers. We’re drawn to the first-hand accounts of people who have had a wide variety of life experiences,” said Ben Cornwell. “We look forward to building out Audio 99 with new shows rooted in these core pillars. We are open for business and ready to take pitches!”

Paperclip Ltd co-founders Yeardley Smith and Ben Cornwell will run the Audio 99 podcast network together, alongside Head of Podcasts Gary Scott, former program director at NPR-flagship KCRW and founder of Inside Voices Media, as well as Head of Audience Monika Scott, a veteran social media expert who also worked at KCRW. Chapter, a leading media and podcast consultancy, is providing strategic assistance.

Audio 99 and Paperclip Ltd are represented by Verve and Metro Public Relations.