'EP Podcast' Has Full Focus On Life In Evergreen Park

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — In the vast modern world that is podcasting, not many have a topic narrow enough to include an entire target audience into one town. Chris Lanuti should know. The Evergreen Park resident and Brother Rice High School alum produces several podcasts every week as part of "The Broadcast Basement" series.

One of Lanuti's podcasts does exactly what he says many others shy away from. A topic focused 100% on one town. New episodes of "the EP podcast" are released every Monday and are entirely centered around what's going on in Evergreen Park.

"We run the show just like we would a local radio show," Lanuti, producer of several weekly podcasts from the basement of his home in town on 99th Street, said. "It's like a morning show for Evergreen Park. We keep it entertaining, and all about Evergreen Park."

So, what's the Evergreen Park market when it comes to a podcast audience?

For Lanuti, it's not dissimilar to the markets he served back in his radio career.

"E.P. is comparable to my favorite days in radio," Lanuti said, referring to his early stops in Champaign, Illinois and Wheeling, West Virginia. "It's a small town with a good local flavor."

Lanuti and his EP podcast co-host, Hannah Kohut, have been joined by the likes of Mayor Jim Sexton, EP School District 124 Superintendent Dr. Robert Machak, world champion ice hockey player and Evergreen Park resident Abbey Murphy and several others to discuss various topics.

Local officials have been supportive of the podcast's efforts, and listeners have risen from just the dozen or so who tuned in to the first few episodes a year-and-a-half ago to the 14,000-plus downloads Lanuti reported in 2019.

"It does not benefit me to do anything negative about Evergreen Park," Lanuti said. "I want Evergreen Park to grow and get bigger and better. The village has been supportive since I am trying to benefit the community where I live."

But the show does not shy away from controversies if there is one.

"I'm not here to rah rah everything Evergreen Park... if I see something that doesn't make sense I'll say it," Lanuti said, noting that he would invite anyone connected to a major local controversy onto the show to discuss it.

All EP podcasts are 30 minutes long. Lanuti said that's his favorite podcast format.

"We do a half hour to make it something you can consume and not take up a lot of time," Lanuti said. "We want people to enjoy the whole show, listen to it all and not make it a chore to try and catch up."

'the EP podcast' is one of six Lanuti produces. There's the original "Broadcast Basement" that still exists as a podcast on its own in addition to being the blanket for all of them. Also, "Sox in the Basement,"which Lanuti says is the most listened to Chicago White Sox podcast. And "Me and the Priest," hosted by Lanuti and Most Holy Redeemer Associate Pastor Rev. Paul Guzman.

Lanuti partners with a Pittsburgh-area podcaster in producing a "Bucs in the Basement" podcast for fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates and is about to launch a new one centered on professional wrestling.

The original 'Broadcast Basement' show dates back to 2008, when Lanuti jumped into the podcast world after a traditional radio career that crossed the nation with stops in Champaign (his University of Illinois college radio station); Wheeling; Reno, Nevada and Bakersfield, California.

Managing these podcasts is now full-time work for Lanuti, a husband and father of three who can often be spotted promoting the podcast at the most popular local events like the 3rd of July parade and District 124 back-to-school bash.

'the EP podcast' has an upward trend that includes being known to some local residents who may not even know what a podcast is. Lanuti has given out several hundred bumper stickers that say 'EP podcast' is the same green color and font format of the 'EP' stickers that go on the back bumper of cars registered to local residents.

"I'm actually beginning to notice more of those bumper stickers in the areas of the village where we don't live so that is a good sign," Lanuti said.

Don't expect Lanuti to scale the local podcast idea to nearby suburbs like Oak Lawn, Orland Park or Alsip. Although if someone from one of those towns wants to do one of their own, Lanuti said he'd gladly offer some tips.

"We want this one to just serve the people of Evergreen Park, and grow into something that benefits the community."