Joe Budden, Wolf Entertainment, and Advance Local/Headline Studio Partner on Innovative New Weekly Video Podcast

Joe Budden (“The Joe Budden Podcast”), Wolf Entertainment (producer of the award-winning “Law & Order” and “One Chicago” branded series), and Advance Local/Headline Studio today announced a new partnership to launch “Crime in America,” a weekly true crime video podcast placing Budden in the host seat. This marks Budden’s foray into true crime storytelling, with “Crime in America” being the first series from Prime Crime Productions, the new crime and news venture set up by Budden and longtime business partner Ian Schwartzman.

Launching Tuesday, August 11, the series brings together entertainment, journalism, and true crime storytelling in an innovative format built around stories unfolding in real time. As host, Budden will be joined by a rotating roster of local journalists who are covering these stories as they develop in their communities. The trailer is available now on all podcast platforms.

“Crime in America” pairs Budden’s personal interest in true crime stories with Wolf Entertainment’s long-standing credibility in crime storytelling and Advance Local/Headline Studio’s national network of deeply-sourced journalists. Each episode will spotlight a case that is developing or beginning to break nationally. The format allows the series to surface local cases early, follow developments week to week, and revisit stories as they evolve. Each week, Budden will be joined by Advance Local journalists closest to the facts to delve into what happened, who was affected, why it matters, and where the story may go next. The series will have a strong journalistic foundation rooted in credible reporting, clear attribution, and careful editorial review.

Said Budden: “Having built one of the most successful independent media businesses, Ian and I have helped redefine what modern media can look like. With ‘Crime in America,’ we made the deliberate decision to finance and build the series ourselves rather than take it to a traditional buyer or platform, and that is something we are incredibly proud of. Wolf Entertainment and Headline Studio were natural partners because they share our vision for finding innovative new ways to tell stories and reach audiences.”

Said Elliot Wolf, EVP of Digital, Wolf Entertainment: “Local journalists have always been the first to break the country’s most moving true crime stories, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with Joe and Headline to give them a national platform. With ‘Crime in America,’ we are creating a new approach to a weekly podcast that puts listeners on the front line of stories as they break.”

Said Richard Diamond, President, Headline Studio: “What makes this partnership unique is the combination of national reach and local reporting. Through Advance Local’s network of news organizations and journalists embedded in communities across the country, 'Crime in America’ can bring audiences closer to stories as they unfold, grounded in original reporting, trusted sourcing, and deep local knowledge. It’s an opportunity to showcase the critical role journalism plays in helping people understand the issues affecting their communities.”