Caloroga Media Celebrates Three Years of Binge-Worthy Podcasts With a New Name and a New Platform

Caloroga Media, the leading producer of innovative and entertaining podcasts, marks its third anniversary this Friday, September 18, with a new name to match its next chapter.

Founded in 2023 by media pioneers Mark Francis and John McDermott as Caloroga Shark Media, the newly rebranded Caloroga Media has produced more than 40 shows and earned over 12 million listens in its short tenure. Known for short-form podcast series that are as sharp as they are fun, the company’s slate spans entertainment, comedy, politics, pop culture, and more.

The company’s three most popular shows right now are “Palace Intrigue,” a daily deep dive into the British Royal Family; “5 Good News Stories,” a heartwarming dose of positivity for listeners’ feeds; and “Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac,” keeping fans laughing with a daily hit of humor.

“We like to experiment and look at our show topics a lot like television programmers do,” says John McDermott, co-founder of Caloroga Media. “Because we run a lean operation, we are incredibly intentional with our content. We use AI behind the scenes for research and to streamline our workflows, which lets us test ideas quickly and pivot when we need to. But when you take a chance on something like ‘Palace Intrigue’ and our Royal Family coverage, and audiences respond beyond anything you imagined, it’s incredibly rewarding. Three years in, that kind of connection is exactly why we do this.”

As the company grows, so do its ambitions. Caloroga Media’s work has expanded beyond podcast creation with the recent launch of Linnet, an AI-powered media production platform offering tools for every step of audio and video creation, all in a single browser with a single subscription. Linnet unifies the entire production workflow into one space, acting as an AI creative partner for creators.

“When we started Caloroga Media, our shows were based on events happening in real time. It gave us a 'live’ feel,” says Mark Francis, co-founder of Caloroga Media. “Over time, the flood of poorly produced AI-generated content put a dark cloud over quick-turnaround programming, and that’s not something we wanted to contribute to. Caloroga has always been quality first, quantity last. So we shifted gears and started focusing on the tools themselves, which is where Linnet comes in.”

“Creators need support, not replacement,” shares McDermott. “Linnet lets us stay in control and still be creative. It frees up more time for writing new shows, brainstorming future ones, and honestly, for our lives outside of work too.”

“We didn’t want to create faster content. We wanted faster tools to help us create better content,” Francis adds. “The improved work-life balance is just a bonus.”

Creators can request early access now at linnetmedia.com.

Looking ahead, Francis and McDermott are already deep into new projects, including fresh seasons of “Crown and Controversy” and “King William,” plus pop-up channels for Halloween and Christmas.

“We could wake up tomorrow with an idea for a show, script it out, and publish episode one all in a day,” says McDermott. “There’s plenty of ideas and seasons already in the queue, but the great thing about running Caloroga is that we can shift gears whenever we want.”

“It’s a great time to be in podcasting,” Francis shares. “Three years ago, we didn’t have the tools to build a profitable business on our passion. Now we can cut through the red tape, the legal, the management meddling, the staffing, the time, and the production costs, and do it all ourselves. That’s just awesome.”

Francis and McDermott will celebrate Caloroga Media’s anniversary at Podcast Movement NYC, where they welcome congratulatory wishes, questions about Linnet, and lively conversations on video podcasting.