Signal Hill

Signal Hill, Issue Two comes out on November 3rd.(Art by Aidan Koch)Support the showSignal Hill is a listener-funded nonprofit. Help us continue doing this work by signing up for a monthly membership, and we'll send you our special Inspirations Newsletter, and other nice things.

Discover the importance of listener support in maintaining creative independence. The conversation highlights a unique membership campaign that offers exclusive gifts, including a hand-crafted mystery shirt. Tune in to learn how your contributions can help bring future projects to life. Don't miss out on a chance to receive curated recommendations from editors and guests while supporting independent artistry!

The first transatlantic radio signal ever received hit an antenna attached to a kite attached to a wire attached to a tower on top of Signal Hill, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada on December 12th, 1901. It said ‘s’ in Morse Code (‘dot dot dot’).We’re named after all the places in the world called Signal Hill. There are eighteen that we know of.Support the showSignal Hill is a listener-funded nonprofit. Help us continue doing this work by signing up for a monthly membership, and we'll send you our special Inspirations Newsletter, and other nice things.

Discover the exhilarating world of kite-making and the vibrant spirit of community at the annual kite festival in downtown LA. Participants unite to celebrate creativity and joy, turning an ordinary park into a colorful sky of flying kites. The podcast beautifully captures how this festive gathering fosters connection and uplifts spirits, especially during challenging times. Explore the rich history and cultural significance of kites, and witness how simple joys can bring people together in unity and celebration.

Neena Pathak, a Los Angeles writer and audio maker, narrates a first-person essay about hot yoga and grief. She explores her daily ritual in nightclub-lit studios. She questions yoga language and politics. She traces addiction, devotion, and family ties. She closes with reflections on prana, her father’s name, and a quiet shavasana.

Robin D. G. Kelley listens back to the oral histories that became his groundbreaking book Hammer and Hoe. Music in this piece is by Nathan Bowles.Conor Gillies is the audio editor at Jacobin, where he makes shows such as Long Reads and People's History. This story was produced by Conor, and edited by Liza Yeager and Omar Etman. Additional editorial support from Jackson Roach, Annie Rosenthal, Lio Wong, and the Issue One cohort.Music in this story is by Nathan Bowles, except for the song “Long-Haired Preachers” by Harry McClintock, courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways.Special thanks to Jacobin Radio, where a longer series based on this story is forthcoming.Support the showSignal Hill is a listener-funded nonprofit. Help us continue doing this work by signing up for a monthly membership, and we'll send you our special Inspirations Newsletter, and other nice things.

A writer lives and works on a sheep farm on the Larzac plateau and traces how the land shaped local life. The story follows a decades‑long fight against French military expansion and vivid acts of nonviolent resistance. It uncovers the plateau’s role as an internment site during the Algerian War and digs into archival letters and local memory. Rural daily rhythms and haunting landscape images bookend the reporting.

An amateur documentarian, a neighborhood historian, and the story no one tells about San Francisco’s Sunset District. Ian Lewis is a filmmaker and radio producer living in Marfa, Texas.Ian wrote, directed, and produced this story, which also features the voices of Rob Weiner and Adrienne Humblet. It was edited by Jackson Roach and Lio Wong, with sound design and additional production by Jackson Roach. Additional editorial support from Annie Rosenthal, Liza Yeager, Omar Etman, and the Issue One cohort.Music in this story is from the Signal Hill music library, which (so far) includes original work by Clara E. Brill, J. Mamana, Ethan Philbrick and Jackson Roach.Special thanks to Graham Stevenson.Support the showSignal Hill is a listener-funded nonprofit. Help us continue doing this work by signing up for a monthly membership, and we'll send you our special Inspirations Newsletter, and other nice things.

Annie’s mom, an esteemed entomologist, knows a lot about bugs. Her ten-year-old Japanese pen pal might know more. Annie Rosenthal is an editor at Signal Hill and the Virginia Spencer Davis fellow at High Country News. Annie reported and produced this story, with additional production from Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach, and sound design by Liza Yeager. It was edited by Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach, with help from Lio Wong, Omar Etman, and the Issue One cohort.Fact checking by Alan Dean.Music in this story is from Blue Dot Sessions, with additional music from the Signal Hill music library, which (so far) includes original work by Clara E. Brill, J. Mamana, Ethan Philbrick and Jackson Roach.Special thanks to Carlos Morales, Marfa Public Radio, John Lill, Jo Nagai, Saeko Nagai, Hayato Nagai, Tomoki Nagai, Martha Weiss, Josh Rosenthal, Isabel Rosenthal, and Harrison Smith.Support the showSignal Hill is a listener-funded nonprofit. Help us continue doing this work by signing up for a monthly membership, and we'll send you our special Inspirations Newsletter, and other nice things.

Over four sticky months, Cheryl Rivera went to protests, and meetings, and hung out with her friends. She brought a microphone with her. Cheryl Rivera is an editor at Lux Magazine and culture worker organizing in Brooklyn.Cheryl reported and wrote this story. It was edited by Omar Etman, Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach. It was produced and sound designed by Jackson Roach, with help from Omar Etman. Additional editorial support from Annie Rosenthal, Lio Wong, and the Issue One cohort.Music in this story is from the Signal Hill music library, which (so far) includes original work by Clara E. Brill, J. Mamana, Ethan Philbrick and Jackson Roach.Special thanks to all of Cheryl’s comrades.Support the showSignal Hill is a listener-funded nonprofit. Help us continue doing this work by signing up for a monthly membership, and we'll send you our special Inspirations Newsletter, and other nice things.