
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

Jun 2, 2023 • 22min
Madison School Scandal, Epic Contracts, and Wombats in the City
It’s the Friday News Roundup and this week Molly Stentz and Dylan Brogan dig into problems behind the scenes at Madison schools after complaints come to light. Also, how Epic Systems' worker contracts affect our larger tech economy - and what the feds might do about it.And did you know we have our very own Australian Football League team right here in Madison? The Wisconsin Wombats are here and they’re playing in Reindahl Park this weekend. And unlike the Brewers, the Packers, and Forward Madison FC, they’re not looking for stadium upgrades. Just don’t ask us how to play this soccer-hockey-rugby-frisbee mashup. Also on the show:🗣️ We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Madison an even better, more useful podcast for you. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 1, 2023 • 21min
Hopalicious Lives On at This Northside Brewery
Karben 4 Brewing, tucked away by the airport on Madison’s northside, is one of the largest craft brewers in the area. Earlier this spring, they began brewing Hopalicious, a beloved hoppy pale ale and summer staple in Madison, after Ale Asylum abruptly closed. Now, they’re bringing back other classics. Ryan Koga, one of the founders of Karben 4 Brewing, fills us in on their plans.🍺 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Also on the show: 🚴🏽♀️ Find Karben 4 at the Lower Yahara River Trail Trailhead this Saturday, June 3rd, at a benefit for Dane County Parks.🗣️ We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Madison an even better, more useful podcast for you. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 31, 2023 • 16min
This Website Can Help Clean Up Your Legal Record
Something as small as a lost parking ticket can set off a chain reaction. If you don’t pay it, your license could get suspended. Get pulled over while driving on a suspended license? Now you’re in legal trouble. If you lose your car, how do you get to work? Without a job, how do you pay the rent?LIFT Wisconsin saw that Madisonians needed an easier way to deal with legal problems that were haunting them, keeping them in poverty. The non-profit legal organization built a website to help you identify any legal issues you might have and connect you with lawyers to sort them out. We speak with Erica Nelson, LIFT Wisconsin’s executive director, about why this is needed. Also on the show: ⛱️ Check for current beach closures around Madison. 🗣️ Take our survey! We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Madison an even better, more useful podcast for you. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 30, 2023 • 19min
Do You Want to Be in Madison's Official Hype Video?
Sam Li’s photographs are your best chance of feeling like a bird in Madison. His videos swoop across the lakes, circle the capitol, race along the bike path and generally take you for a joyride. They’re full of exuberance and awe — and he started out doing them out of sheer love for our city. Now, he’s making an official video for Madison and he wants YOU to be in it. Bianca Martin catches up with Madison drone photographer and cinematographer Sam Li. Mentioned on the show:🎥 See Sam’s work on Instagram and sign up to be in his next video about Madison🇮🇹 Festa Italia is this weekend! Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 26, 2023 • 22min
CUNA Strike, St Vinnie’s Loans, Help for Hot Lunch Owners, and Naked Butts
On this week’s roundup, workers at the former CUNA Mutual group (now called TruStage) launch the biggest strike Madison’s seen in a decade. St. Vinnie’s now offers more than just old couches; you can get a loan! And Madison’s restaurant community mourns one of their own, Hot Lunch co-owner Roger Barts. Plus, the World Naked Bike Ride is headed our way soon. Now you know.Rounding up the news today are City Cast Madison’s Bianca Martin and Molly Stentz. Mentioned on the show:🏥 Online fundraiser for Mike Cerv's medical bills🫶 Merchant is also holding a fundraiser for Roger Barts' family and Mike Cerv's medical care on Memorial Day from 5 to 10 p.m.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 25, 2023 • 22min
How to Find Morels in the Madison Area 🍄
Each May, we Wisconsinites scour the woods for a seasonal delicacy: the morel mushroom. Discovering a flush of them can feel like finding hidden treasure. They can fetch $50 per pound at your local farmers’ market, but are free to pick in state parks and forests - if you can find them. So where do you look? “Everywhere and nowhere,” according to Melissa Klotka, President of the Wisconsin Mycological Society. But don’t worry, she’s got tips for you. Check out their upcoming mushroom-hunting forays.🍄 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Also on the show: 🤮 Spring Harbor Beach is CLOSED due to blue-green algae. 🏊🏽♀️ Beginning Memorial Day, you can check Madison area lake conditions here.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Mdison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 24, 2023 • 21min
Why Madison Buses are About to Change 🚌
Starting June 11th, the Madison Metro bus system, as you know it, will change. Metro bus routes, bus stops and bus numbers will be different. It’s all part of the plan to move people across town faster and make way for the new Bus Rapid Transit system. Madison hopes new express buses in dedicated lanes will make transit easier, faster, and more reliable. That’s coming next year. But first, they’re redesigning all of the regular bus routes.We talk to City of Madison transit planner Mike Chechvala about what’s happening very soon. 🚌 Learn all about the new routes here. 7 Basics of Bus Rapid Transit (PDF)Also on the show: 🧙🏽♀️ WisCon is this weekendWanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 23, 2023 • 30min
Alex Gee’s Transformational Vision for Madison
You may know Rev. Dr. Alex Gee as the pastor of Fountain of Life Church, the founder and CEO of Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, the host of the Black Like Me podcast, or as the author of the viral Justified Anger editorial taking Madison to task for failing its Black residents.And if you don’t know Alex Gee yet, you should. He’s a visionary force for change in Madison. His next act? Building the Center for Black Excellence and Culture, a brand-new multimillion dollar building off Park Street in south Madison. It’s “bigger than a community center, broader than a cultural center” and will house a business incubator, performance spaces, a theater, a recording studio and so much more. He’s tapped the team behind the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C. to design it. He’s betting that by uplifting and celebrating the achievements of Madison’s Black community, he’ll transform Madison for generations.Also on the show:🎶 Cafe CODA Afrovibe SoireeWanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 22, 2023 • 18min
Why it’s So Hard to Get Info From Madison Schools
Public schools are paid for by us, the public. And we the people are entitled to oversight. But what happens when a public entity does not live up to the law? And leaves frustrated parents hanging, waiting months on end for basic info? When delays force citizens to sue to get answers?That’s what’s happening at the Madison Metropolitan School District. Public interest lawyers say it’s THE worst government body in the entire state of Wisconsin for transparency. What’s going on? We dig in with Tom Kamenick of the Wisconsin Transparency Project. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 19, 2023 • 23min
Frank News About the Wienermobile, Women’s Soccer and Medical Fights
The City Cast Madison team is here to round up the news in our fair city. A new women’s pro soccer team could come to Madison, but they have a price. Parents of an autistic teenager fight a local healthcare co-op for treatment. And we chase the Wienermobile outta town after they rebrand it. First they closed the factory, now they take the Wienermobile away from us?!Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz wrangle it all up for ya.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices