
City Cast Madison
Join us every weekday morning for can’t-miss conversations about what’s happening in Madison, with a dose of local news to keep you up to speed. Host Bianca Martin collects people wherever she goes, like an endless conga line. On City Cast Madison, she peers into our city’s soul with a journalist’s skepticism and an optimist’s heart.
Latest episodes

Apr 15, 2024 • 25min
How Jury Duty Works in Madison
Jury duty. America’s founders loved it. Many Americans try to avoid it. But what’s it really like to serve on a jury? Do people actually get a jury “of their peers” here in Dane County? And if juries are so important, why do we have so few of them?Bianca Martin speaks with Dane County Judge Nicholas McNamara about what really goes on during jury duty.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 12, 2024 • 25min
Biden’s Debt Relief Plan, PFAS Problems and Terrace Time!
The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Dylan Brogan, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz recap President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debt for millions and loan interest for millions more. Plus, everyone wants toxic PFAS chemicals cleaned up, so why isn’t it happening? And it’s Terrace time! The iconic Memorial Union chairs will be outside beginning April 17.Mentioned on the show:
President Joe Biden unveils student debt forgiveness plan in trip to Madison [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Evers vetoes a Republican-backed bill targeting PFAS chemicals [Associated Press]
Summer by the lake at the Terrace kicks off with return of chairs [UW-Madison]
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 11, 2024 • 23min
Your Guide to the Dane County Farmers’ Market
he Dane County Farmers’ Market is back on the Capitol Square this Saturday, April 13. City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin finds out what’s new at the market this season from DCFM manager Jamie Bugel. We also have some insider tips on how to navigate the crowds and how traffic’s changing around the Square. Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 10, 2024 • 24min
What’s Worth Saving in Madison?
Exploring the challenges of balancing preservation and development in Madison, the podcast delves into the significance of saving historical buildings like the State Street and Mifflin Street Arcade structures. They discuss the standards for classifying a site as historic, the power dynamics of the Landmarks Commission, the importance of preserving landmarks for insights into the city's evolution, and the delicate balance between preserving historic buildings and meeting housing needs.

Apr 9, 2024 • 21min
Inside WYSO’s Cool New Building on E Wash
If you’ve driven down East Washington Avenue in the past year, you’ve probably seen the building under construction: a large wall of glass flanks the front of the building, nestled under the swooping curves of arched roofs. This is the new home of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. Since the 1960s, WYSO has trained and inspired thousands of young musicians across Madison, and they did so from borrowed rooms across town. Now, they’ve got a state-of-the-art rehearsal facility to bring all their orchestras under one roof. Bianca Martin speaks with WYSO Director of Development and Communication Susan Gardels about what’s inside their fancy new digs.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 8, 2024 • 21min
Downtown Madison’s Getting a New Independent Music Venue
Madison’s getting a new live music venue. Kevin Willmott II is soon opening the Gamma Ray Bar in the former Barley Pop Live and The Frequency music venue space on West Main Street. You may know long-time local musician and live event host Kevin from his storytelling on the Moth Story Slam, his band Don’t Mess With Cupid or from his time working at the High Noon Saloon. Host Bianca Martin sits down for an exclusive with Kevin to learn about his plans for Gamma Ray and his vision for how it might serve Madison local arts. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 5, 2024 • 27min
Unpacking Presidential Votes, Snowy Polling Places and UW Parental Leave
The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz recap Tuesday’s election in Wisconsin, including the nearly 50,000 democratic voters who chose “uninstructed” and the 100,000 republican voters who picked anyone but Trump. And why did some Madisonians have to vote outside in the snow at Rennebohm Park and what is the city doing about it? We have answers! Plus, the UW system will now offer employees six weeks of family leave.Mentioned on the show:✅Wisconsin Presidential Primary Election Results [AP]🙅🏽♀️From 'uninstructed' Dems to non-Trump Republicans: Takeaways from Wisconsin's primary [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]📣Trump rally today in Green Bay: Former president focuses on immigration in campaign speech [Green Bay Press Gazette]❄️Madison had one outdoor voting location Tuesday. And it snowed. [Wisconsin State Journal] 🏢Do you have a polling place to offer? Contact the Madison City Clerk’s office. 🍼Universities of Wisconsin, UW-Madison to offer paid parental leave [Cap Times]🇺🇸Among 41 countries, only U.S. lacks paid parental leave [Pew Research Center]Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 4, 2024 • 24min
The Next Generation of Hạ Long Bay
Hạ Long Bay, the popular Vietnamese restaurant on Willy Street, is known for lines out the door and a takeout business so strong their phone is literally often off the hook. And now, the eastside neighborhood staple is under a new generation of family ownership. Jacqueline and Stephanie Le, nieces of founder Jean Tran, have been busy updating the restaurant, while keeping the family traditions and recipes alive. The sisters, who also own Little Palace on King Street, are temporarily closing Hạ Long Bay on Monday, April 8 for remodeling. Bianca Martin catches up with the new owners to learn what’s next. 🍜Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 3, 2024 • 21min
The Mosaic Dinner Party Has One Rule
Artist Marlon Hall would like to invite you to a dinner party. But he has one rule: you absolutely cannot talk about what you do for a living. He invites diverse groups of people to join together over a meal and connect as humans, in the spirit of community. He designs and creates physical doors made of native wood around which the dinner parties gather. He’s hosted dozens of these dinner parties across the country and is now inviting Madisonians to join him for a community-wide dinner party on May 5th. What’s it all about? Bianca Martin talks to Marlon about the Mosaic Dinner Party movement and his time as UW-Madison’s spring artist-in-residence. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 2, 2024 • 21min
Honoring Madison’s Legendary Bass Player
Richard Davis was widely regarded as one of the world’s best bass players. He recorded with Sarah Vaughan, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Miles Davis, just to name a few. And for much of his life, until he passed away last year at age 93, he lived, worked and played in Madison. Richard Davis taught bass at UW-Madison for nearly 40 years and created the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists to inspire more people to learn the instrument. A new film chronicling his life and impact premieres at the Wisconsin Film Festival this week. It’s called String Theory: The Richard Davis Method. Bianca Martin catches up with director Michael Neelsen to learn more.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices