Today we’d like to introduce you to Louise Palanker.
Hi Louise, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I grew up in suburban Buffalo, NY, and came to L.A. seeking a career in the entertainment industry. Looking for an entry point, I took intern positions and landed a job as a studio page at Metrotape where I worked on the Norman Lear sit-coms, The John Davidson Talk show, and assorted specials and telethons. This position led to me being offered a job at PM Magazine, a syndicated/local magazine show. Within a year I was writing for the hosts and producing stories.
KIIS-FM morning show star Rick Dees co-hosted PM Magazine one week and soon offered me a job writing his new, syndicated radio countdown show, The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40. I wrote that show for about two years and at KIIS-FM I formed Premiere Radio Networks with KIIS DJs, Tim Kelly, Steve Lehman, and Ed Mann. This company grew quickly and by 2000 we sold it to Clear Channel, now iHeart Media.
Around this time I began performing stand-up comedy with the goal that I would one day like to host my own show.
Then along came podcasting. I was in. As soon as the technology became available allowing us to create and post our own content, I was interested. Photography, filmmaking, music, blogging, and audio entertainment.
In 2004, I began making a documentary about the band the real-life family band that I loved as a child. They disappeared just as they were inspiring their fictional counterpoint, The Partridge Family. Our film, Family Band: The Cowsills Story was eight years in the making but it aired on Showtime for two years and is now available on Amazon Prime.
My current podcast with my co-host Fritz Coleman is Media Path. We create an audio-only and a video podcast which you can find wherever you get your podcasts on Youtube. We take our audience along on a scenic tour through the content that captures, compels, and captivates us… books, movies, music, TV series, and podcasts, exploring entertainment, politics, history, true crime, world events, and all of their intriguing intersections.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Every road has its twists and bumps. I’ve also hit many cul de sacs where I need to back out and find another approach. My goal is to keep learning.
One lesson is to recognize red flags before you are in partnership with them! I try to align myself with great people who are proactive, innovative, creative, and open to constructive dialogue. Most problems can be worked out with conversation, problem-solving and hard work.
It’s important to be a finisher and to work with fellow finishers. It is super common for folks to get stuck, get distracted, and stall out. These people can be insanely kind, creative, and compassionate. They can be your best friends. We just want to avoid working with them.
I have also learned to steer past anyone who exhibits or tolerates cruelty. Whether it be face-to-face or via typed technology. Nobody needs to read an angry email at midnight. It’s counter-productive and unhealthy. There is always a civil means of making your point. We can all be kinder and I strive to work with folks who embrace that ethic.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Along with Fritz Coleman, I create a weekly podcast called Media Path. We are currently working on episode 119. Fritz and I recommend books, movies, documentaries, and TV shows that folks may like. We don’t review. We simply recommend that everything we mention is an offering that we like.
Each week we welcome a guest to share highlights from their media path. We’ve been honored to welcome: Henry Winkler, Cindy Williams, Keith Morrison, Butch Patrick, Adam Schiff, Pat Boone, The Cowsills, Maz Jobrani, Christopher Knight and the list goes on until you get to about number 119! We are currently preparing for this week’s guest, John Sebastian from The Lovin’ Spoonful.
We create the show here in my home studio. It’s a video podcast so you can listen wherever you get your podcasts or you can watch on Youtube and see loads of bonus visual content that compliments the conversation.
Fritz and I pride ourselves on our preparation. We do our research, watch shows and films and we read books. This makes the conversations more rewarding for us. It’s such a treat to be in a position where we get to ask questions and so we do our homework.
We also send out a fun and dishy weekly newsletter which tees up next week’s guest so folks can read up in advance of the episode dropping.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a hybrid nerd/geek/dork. I was a straight-up tomboy, obsessed with the drums. I was, however, not permitted to play the drums which led to a frustrating drive in parallel creative directions. I was into vocal harmonies, collecting records by The Mills Brothers, The Bee Gees, The Cowsills, and The Lettermen.
I began babysitting at the age of 11 and spent all of my money on records and books. I was constantly prowling through libraries, records, and bookstores.
I was into photography very early. I had no interest in clothes or makeup and for gifts, I asked only for cameras, film, musical instruments, records, books, and magazines. I had a few Kodak cameras, a Polaroid Land camera, and a Super 8 film camera. I even sent away some low-tech editing equipment and began splicing my early work to the best of my limited ability.
I was a chubby, pimply kid and I learned to survive socially via wisecrack. I have always been a huge comedy fan.
I have an older sister, a younger sister, and a younger brother. By the time I was 12, I noticed the power of listening to and including the little kids in my home and on our block. I’ve been mentoring young people ever since.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mediapathpodcast.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisepalanker/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouisePalanker
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LouisePalanker
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mediapathpodcast5069
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/louise-palanker
- Other: https://www.louisepalanker.com
Image Credits
Louise Palanker, Dina Friedman, and Jake Palanker
