NET INFLUENCER – August 9, 2026
John McDermott and Mark Francis launched Caloroga Media in 2023 with a clear conviction: short-form audio was the future. Three years later, with more than 12 million downloads and 40-plus shows, the data backs them up.
‘John and I both come from the world of terrestrial and satellite radio. We lived for live content. Breaking news, entertainment, sports were all done on the fly,’ Francis told Net Influencer. ‘We wanted to bring that energy to podcasting — episodes that feel current, not polished weeks in advance.’
The studio operates what McDermott describes as three distinct lanes of podcasting: scripted narrative shows with AI narration, personality-driven hosted shows, and rapid-reaction news content. Episode lengths typically run under 15 minutes — a deliberate contrast to the long-form trend dominating the medium.
On shows where AI voices narrate the scripts, Caloroga discloses this to listeners upfront. ‘Transparency matters,’ McDermott said. ‘Audiences are sophisticated. We tell them when it is AI narration and why — usually it is speed or finding the right voice for the material.’
The company recently launched Caloroga Plus, a subscription tier at $5 per month giving listeners ad-free access and bonus content. It also unveiled Linnet, an AI-powered production platform designed to streamline the entire podcasting workflow for independent creators.
McDermott, who also teaches radio and podcasting at Fairleigh Dickinson and Montclair State universities, sees the short-form model as particularly accessible for creators just starting out. ‘You do not need a two-hour show to build an audience,’ he said. ‘You need a consistent voice and something worth saying.’
Originally published at netinfluencer.com on August 9, 2026.