Ronan Farrow Inks Podcast Series Deal for ‘Catch and Kill’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Todd Spangler

October 23, 2019 at 12:01 AM

Ronan Farrow is launching a podcast offshoot of his best-selling book “Catch and Kill.”

Slated to premiere in November, “The Catch and Kill Podcast With Ronan Farrow” will feature new audio material and interviews with people Farrow interviewed about allegations involving sexual misconduct of media industry figures including Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer — and attempts to prevent the stories from becoming public.

More from Variety

The investigative reporter entered into a podcast production deal with Pineapple Street Studios, a division of Entercom Communications’ Radio.com online audio group. The limited-series podcast will serve as an audio companion to Farrow’s “Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators.”

Farrow told Variety he was approached by several podcast production houses about a deal tied to “Catch and Kill.” Because he wanted to take a deeper dive on the material geared around first-person interviews to expand on his reporting for the book, he went with Pineapple Street. “Pineapple is world-class for this kind of podcast production,” he said.

“There are compelling characters in the book, and this has keyed up a moment after people process the headlines from the book to… hear compelling, intimate conversations” from the subjects themselves, Farrow said. He said the podcast will include new details and evidence directly from his ongoing reporting.

An excerpt of an early episode that aired last week on “The New Yorker Radio Hour” podcast featured Farrow interviewing Igor Ostrovskiy, who was initially hired by investigative firm Black Cube at Weinstein’s behest to spy on Farrow before ultimately becoming an ally and a source.

Farrow declined to reveal the other subjects he is interviewing for the podcast, but said he’s recorded sessions for the podcast so far in New York, Chicago and L.A.

Max Linsky, co-head of Pineapple Street Studios, said he met with Farrow in August, and the two discussed ways they could bring “Catch and Kill” to the podcast medium. Instead of “churning it out” as a way get the podcast out with the book’s release, according to Linsky, they decided to invest more time and money in the project.

“This is the exact kind of show we want to be making and the type of podcast that can bring new audiences to the medium,” Linsky said.

“The Catch and Kill Podcast With Ronan Farrow” will be between five and 10 episodes, each running about 30 minutes apiece, Linsky said. It will be widely distributed on podcast platforms, including Entercom’s Radio.com.

Entercom, the No. 2 radio broadcaster in the U.S., acquired Pineapple Street earlier this year along with buying full control of podcast network and producer Cadence13. Other Pineapple Street productions have included true-crime show “The Clearing,” produced in association with Spotify’s Gimlet Media, “Running From Cops,” “Missing Richard Simmons” and “The Chernobyl Podcast” with HBO.

Farrow said he didn’t consider taking the podcast project to Crooked Media, the podcast company co-founded by Jon Lovett, a former Obama speechwriter who is Farrow’s partner. “The Crooked Media folks do great podcasts, but it’s very close to home,” Farrow said.

While he has been approached with multiple pitches for TV or film adaptations of “Catch and Kill,” Farrow said, he’s been focused on continuing to report the story and is not in active talks at this point on a television or movie deal.

“Catch and Kill” was published Oct. 15, and is also available in an audiobook format narrated by Farrow. In the book, Farrow makes a number of explosive claims. Those include that NBC News put the kibosh on his report of Weinstein’s history of alleged sexual assault, in part because of Weinstein’s ties to NBC News and NBCUniversal. Weinstein, according to Farrow, pressured NBC News to halt Farrow’s investigation by providing information on “Today” anchor Matt Lauer — who was fired in November 2017 over allegations of a pattern of sexual misconduct claims against the longtime anchor. The book includes details of the anal rape allegation against Lauer by former NBC News staffer Brooke Nevils that prompted his firing. Lauer has denied the allegation and called his relationship with Nevils “consensual.”

NBC News president Noah Oppenheim has disputed claims in Farrow’s “Catch and Kill,” including the allegation that NBC News execs were aware of charges about Lauer’s sexual misconduct prior to Lauer’s termination as well as the allegation and that Weinstein used info on Lauer to kill NBC News’ story. The news org has maintained that it could not proceed with Farrow’s report on Weinstein without having any accusers on the record.

According to Farrow, after being stymied at NBC News, he took his Weinstein reporting to The New Yorker and shared a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for public-service reporting with The New York Times, which also published an investigation into allegations made against Weinstein.

Best of Variety

Reuters
Trump's defense rests case in hush money trial without calling Trump as witness
Donald Trump's defense lawyers on Tuesday rested their case at his criminal trial on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star without calling the former U.S. president as a witness. Taking the stand would have given Trump, the Republican candidate for the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, the chance to defend himself against the 34 criminal counts he faces for allegedly falsifying business records. Prosecutors say he sought to cover up his former lawyer Michael Cohen’s $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels for her silence before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she says she and Trump had in 2006.
Associated Press
Victims of UK's infected blood scandal to start receiving final compensation payments this year
Victims of the U.K.'s infected blood scandal, in which tens of thousands of people were infected by contaminated blood or blood products provided by the public health service, will start receiving their final compensation payments this year, the government said Tuesday. Officials announced the compensation plans a day after the publication of a damning report that found civil servants and doctors exposed patients to unacceptable risks by giving them blood transfusions or blood products tainted with HIV or hepatitis from the 1970s to the early 1990s. The report said successive U.K. governments refused to admit wrongdoing and tried to cover up the scandal, in which an estimated 3,000 people died after receiving the contaminated blood or blood products.
Time
What Happens if Trump is Convicted in NY Trial?
Here's what would happen if Trump is convicted in the New York case, from whether he can still run for President to if he will go to jail.
Associated Press
Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Afghanistan nearly 3 years after the Taliban captured Kabul
Afghanistan's Taliban government confirmed the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights to Kabul’s international airport, nearly three years after the carrier's services were suspended following the collapse of the Western-backed government. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said that the first Turkish Airlines flight landed Tuesday and was greeted by government officials. Turkish Airlines flights have returned with a schedule of four weekly round-trip flights between Istanbul and Kabul on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Politico
House battlegrounds, a primary to Trump’s prosecutor and more: What we’re watching in Tuesday’s elections
Two states will also hold presidential primary contests, one of the dwindling opportunities for a protest vote.
AFP
UK blood scandal victims to receive payouts this year: govt
Victims of a decades-long contaminated blood scandal that has killed about 3,000 people in Britain will start receiving final compensation payments this year, the government announced on Tuesday."Our expectation is that final payments will start before the end of the year," he added.
AFP
Stock markets waver as traders look for fresh impetus
European stock markets fell while Wall Street indices were little changed Tuesday as traders awaited more signs on the direction of interest rates and an earnings update from US tech giant Nvidia.On Wednesday, investors will closely watch earnings results from US chip-maker and stock market star Nvidia, whose high-end processors are key for artificial intelligence companies.
AFP
Palestinian ministry says Israel troops kill 7 in West Bank raid
Palestinian health officials said seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli raid on the West Bank city of Jenin, where an AFP correspondent reported masked gunmen later exchanged fire with Israeli forces.Attacks by Palestinians have killed at least 12 Israelis in the West Bank over the same period, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
USA TODAY
Trump tops Biden in monthly fundraising for first time of 2024 campaign
Former President Donald Trump outraised President Joe Biden in fundraising in April, but the Democratic incumbent still has a sizable cash edge.
Associated Press
Spain withdraws its ambassador to Argentina over comments made by President Milei
A diplomatic crisis between historic allies Spain and Argentina expanded Tuesday as Spain pulled its ambassador from Buenos Aires and Argentine President Javier Milei lambasted the move as “nonsense typical of an arrogant socialist.” Spain said it was officially pulling its ambassador from Argentina in response to comments made by President Milei at a far-right rally Sunday in Madrid, where he accused the Spanish prime minister’s wife of corruption and described socialism as “cursed and carcinogenic.”
AFP
16 top AI firms make new safety commitments at Seoul summit
More than a dozen of the world's leading artificial intelligence firms made fresh safety commitments at a global summit in Seoul on Tuesday, the British government said in a statement.The Seoul summit comes days after OpenAI confirmed that it had disbanded a team devoted to mitigating the long-term dangers of advanced AI. "The field of AI safety is quickly evolving and we are particularly glad to endorse the commitments' emphasis on refining approaches alongside the science," Anna Makanju, OpenA
Reuters
Slovak coalition backs Fico's policies as lawmakers return after shooting
Fico is recovering and no longer in immediate danger after being hit by four bullets last week, in the first major assassination attempt on a European political leader for more than 20 years. The incident highlighted the deep polarisation of politics in the central European country of 5.4 million people where Fico has been a dominant force for nearly two decades. Since winning back the prime minister's job last September, Fico and his coalition have shifted policy, including ending state military aid to Ukraine, scrapping a special prosecutor's office fighting corruption, and planning an overhaul of public broadcaster RTVS after it accused it of bias.
CNN
A severe storm outbreak with potentially strong tornadoes will hit the Midwest today
Destructive hail, winds and strong tornadoes could thrash communities in parts of the Midwest Tuesday as relentless storms tear a path across the US this week.
CBS News
More Florida panthers have died so far in 2024 than in all of last year
Of the 14 deaths in 2024, 11 involved vehicle, according to statistics from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Reuters
US FDA staff says Guardant's test may fail to detect some pre-cancerous tumors
The reviewers, however, said a benefit would be that the test may increase compliance with screening for colorectal cancer and detect it in earlier stages, potentially helping cure patients and prolong survival. The comments come ahead of Thursday's meeting of the FDA's outside advisers. If approved, the test, Shield, could become the second blood-based colorectal cancer test in the U.S.
CNN
Group of US lawmakers travel to Turks and Caicos to push for release of Americans detained on ammunition charges
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers traveled to Turks and Caicos to press for the release of five detained Americans – but encountered resistance from officials on the island, the members announced Monday.
Yahoo Finance
Stock market today: Nasdaq slips after record as investors await Nvidia earnings
Investors biding their time for Nvidia results looked to retail earnings and Fedspeak for clues to the economy.
AFP
Progress in US inflation fight 'has likely resumed': Fed official
Progress in the US Federal Reserve's fight against inflation "likely resumed" last month, a senior bank official said Tuesday, adding that additional rate hikes were probably unnecessary."One month does not constitute a trend, but this data suggests that policy is doing its job to moderate aggregate demand, which will support renewed progress in lowering inflation," added Waller, a permanent voting member on the Fed's rate-setting committee.
Associated Press
Analysis: Iran's nuclear policy of pressure and talks likely to go on even after president's death
While Iran's nuclear program stands at the precipice of tipping over into enriching uranium at weapons-grade levels, Tehran has held quiet, indirect talks with the United States and invited the head of the United Nations' atomic watchdog into the country for negotiations. While seemingly contradictory, the move follows Iran's strategy since the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018.
CNN
Iran begins days of funeral ceremonies for President Raisi as investigators probe helicopter crash
Iran will kick off funeral ceremonies for the late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday following his death in a helicopter crash as authorities probe what caused the aircraft to smash into the side of a remote mountainside.

Latest Stories