REACH has the same enthusiasm as the stack of VHS tapes about anything even vaguely NASA-related I had as a kid. The hosts sound like they’re in blue jumpsuits with mission patches ironed onto the sleeves, ready to share facts about the moon and the time John Young snuck a corned beef sandwich onto Gemini 3. When not setting up interview segments with guest experts, the hosts partake in fun educational segments, including regularly talking to (educational and chatty) stars. 

Space-centric parents might want to hang around for longer episodes with any kids listening, if only because some scientists occasionally forget the target demographic is a younger audience and will slip back into industry jargon. Nothing insurmountable, but there might be an occasional question from the peanut gallery. While labeled for kids, REACH has something the adult NASA nerd might be sorely missing in an age where most space travel headlines seem to be about cartoon villain billionaires playing astronaut for funsies: hope for the future. A rekindling of what being excited about space felt like before pedantic astronomers on Twitter sucked the fun out of the room. REACH can, at least for a moment, revive one’s inner kid astronaut.

We were fortunate to talk with Nate DuFort of Soundsington Media about the podcast, how they differentiate from other podcasts, and their future plans in podcasting. See below for our full Q&A.

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DISCOVER PODS: In your own words, why should listeners tune in to REACH: A Space Podcast for Kids?

DUFORT: REACH offers a fun, interactive, listening experience for middle graders and anyone with an interest in what’s happening in space exploration and how it impacts our lives here on Earth. We talk to experts about the most current and exciting space initiatives, from the engineers behind the Mars Perseverance Rover, to astronauts from NASA’s Artemis Program that will return to the moon, to those using space technology to save species and counteract climate change on Earth.  And the variety show format allows for us to bring on exciting guest stars playing our favorite celestial bodies which have included Jack McBrayer (30 Rock, Wreck-It Ralph), Sean Astin (The Lord of the RIngs, The Goonies), Tawny Newsome (Netflix’s Space Force, Star Trek: Lower Decks), Lamorne Morris (New Girl, Hulu’s Woke, QCODE’s Unwanted), Rachel Dratch (SNL, Mr. Mayor), Alex Goldman (Gimlet’s Reply All), and so many more. 

DISCOVER PODS: On first glance, this format seems open to expand to other terrains for kids as well. Any expansion plans for the ocean, or forests, or other areas?

DUFORT: We are completely in sync here! We love the revue or variety show format where we can jump back and forth between expert interviews, comedic bits with special guest stars, hearing from our listeners, and experiments you can do at home. We just piloted two other shows with a similar format and have high hopes that our audiences will be able to hear them soon. 

DISCOVER PODS: You’re a bonafide podcaster at this point in your career with a wide-ranging catalogue of podcasts, what made you decide to create a kids-focused podcast?

DUFORT: My primary inspiration for creating the kid shows was my own daughter. At the time that we started Unspookable there were shows for younger audiences and then the shows appropriate for teenagers, but there was a hole in the market for middle grade, eight to twelve year old,  listeners. With both REACH and with our first kids show Unspookable, I was truly just trying to create something that I knew overlapped with her and her friends’ interests. It’s been great to see the landscape change in the last few years and now there are regularly shows released from our own Soundsington Media, the great Gen-Z Media, and by PRX’s new TRAX imprint specifically for this audience.

DISCOVER PODS: Despite podcasts being on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of themes and target audience, what lessons carry over from your other ventures like My Neighbors Are Dead that you’ve brought to REACH?

DUFORT: Community is by far the largest carryover from our other shows. With My Neighbors Are Dead, we found a great overlap in the horror and comedy communities and knew that building not just an audience, but a relationship with that audience as well as with fellow creators was going to be key in our success. For our children’s shows, that’s where Kids Listen came into play. Kids Listen is a grassroots organization of advocates for high-quality audio content for children. It has helped us learn and grow right along with the creators of some of our all time favorite podcasts while making friends where we can all cheer on each other’s successes. 

DISCOVER PODS: The larger podcasting world seems ever-changing, are there trends or topics you’re following closely?

DUFORT: My primary love of podcasting is that of an actor, director, and producer in the audio fiction space, so I am always watching the trends and innovations in storytelling and how they will impact our future children’s programming. I’m also always looking at the advertising space, particularly for younger audiences as there are ethical considerations and partnerships that I don’t have to consider with our shows intended for adults. Overall, I love that podcasting is still a place of rapid change and of rapid growth so there’s always something new to learn. 

DISCOVER PODS: How do you measure the success of your podcasts?

DUFORT: We could look at our numbers or social media engagement all day, but the most valuable measurement for the team is and has always been the reaction from the kids and tweens that listen. Whether it be submitting questions for future episodes, sending us photos of their experiments and activities, or sharing their areas of interest and places we can improve the show, our success is measured in the connection to our audience.  

DISCOVER PODS: Anything else you’d like to add?

DUFORT: I just want to end by saying that we all love Discover Pods and appreciate the work that you do and the time spent with us today. 

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