Is Canadian podcasting in trouble?

About this episode

The episode explores the challenges facing the Canadian podcasting industry and features an interview with producer Kattie Laur.

A little less than a decade ago, the podcast industry was ascendant in Canada. Independent shows were finding an audience, major media companies were starting podcast network and buying up podcast production houses, and it was assumed the medium would continue to grow alongside the American industry. Podcasting had arrived. Today, despite audience growth that surged during the pandemic and continues today, the industry is struggling. It's not for lack of quality, as Canadian shows win international awards and Canadian hosts and producers often go on to work on massive shows in the United States. So why is the industry shrinking in Canada? Do Canadian audiences want Canadian shows? And what does the future of the format in this country look like? Jordan sits down with longtime producer Kattie Laur, who runs Canada's podcast newsletter Pod The North, hosts her own show, Canardian, and has had just about every job there is in podcasting, as she explains just what happened to the Canadian podcast boom that never came.

People in this episode

Hosts: Jordan Heath-Rawlings, Laura Palmer, Mat Keselman

Guest: Kattie Laur

Topics covered

• Canadian podcasting
• industry challenges
• audience growth
• media companies
• future of podcasting

Keywords

• Canadian podcasting
• podcast industry
• audience growth
• Kattie Laur
• Pod The North
• Canardian
• media companies
• podcast production

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pod The North

Books & works: Canardian

More episodes of CanCon

• Why is Canada getting a brand new police force? · June 11, 2026 · 24 min
• What happened to Canada's Pharmacare plan? · June 4, 2026 · 26 min
• The US just paused a joint defence effort. How worried should Canada be? · May 28, 2026 · 29 min
• Why are gas prices so high in Canada if we produce our own? It's complicated. · May 21, 2026 · 28 min
• Midseason update: Surveillance pricing, listener feedback and more · May 14, 2026 · 15 min
• The emotional side of the Canadian housing crisis · May 7, 2026 · 31 min