St. John’s University · September 16, 2026
John McDermott ’93M.B.A. cofounded Caloroga Shark Media in 2023 with Mark Francis, building it into an independent audio studio blending AI and human creativity. In less than three years, the network surpassed 10 million downloads across more than 30 short-form audio shows.
“Thinking back to the Strategic Management classes, one thing that served me well is the idea of surrounding yourself with good people and trusting them,” Mr. McDermott said. “Also, evolve. I learned how to edit audio with a razor blade and tape. Now, we use computers and even AI.”
Mr. McDermott spent more than a decade as a producer with WOR in New York, then became VP of Comedy Programming for SiriusXM, then EVP at Cadence13. He left in 2023 to start Caloroga. The studio’s signature show, Palace Intrigue, covers the British royal family and is now in its sixth season with more than 2,500 episodes.
The company integrates AI to brainstorm episode ideas and massage scripts, and runs ‘Podbotz,’ a listener-facing story generator. McDermott also teaches radio and podcasting as an adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson and Montclair State universities.
Originally published at St. John’s University News, September 16, 2026