Alec Cowan
Senior Podcast Producer
About
Alec Cowan is a senior podcast producer at KUOW, where he works on Booming and other podcast projects.
Alec has worn many hats at KUOW. He helped launch Soundside and brought many eclectic stories to the program, from a late-night patrol with real life superheroes to the sewing machine sounds of an artisanal sail loft. Additionally, he was previously a producer for The Record with Bill Radke and the Primed podcast.
Before joining KUOW, Alec worked in NPR's Story Lab, where he helped pilot the Louder Than a Riot podcast and assisted in producing a story on volunteerism in Iraq for Rough Translation. Originally from Grand Junction, Colorado, his roots in the Northwest begin in Eugene, where he studied English and philosophy at the University of Oregon and worked as a news reporter for NPR member station KLCC. He is likely neglecting his saxophone, growing book collection, and expanding personal project list in favor of boosting his online Xbox ranking.
He's proud to be KUOW's unofficial "boat guy."
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him/his
Podcasts
Stories
-
Is AI fueling a trade school boom?
When it comes to the white-collar workforce, warning signals are blinking red. That uncertainty has more kids going blue collar -- trade schools are booming.
-
Nine families, one roof: Urban cohousing in Seattle
A growing number of people are building a different kind of housing to get the benefit of more space without the added cost. It’s called co-housing, where people come together with friends and strangers to live in modest apartments with more shared spaces -- all designed from scratch.
-
Babies aren't booming. Is that a problem?
It costs a lot to raise a family here. So what does it mean for Seattle’s economy if people can’t afford to have kids?
-
Can AI really cure cancer?
In the debate over how fast we should be embracing artificial intelligence, one thing comes up again and again. The claim from tech CEOs that AI can cure cancer. So can it?
-
Does AI mean game over for video game developers?
Generative AI has created a cultural conflict so deep, it's sliced the video game industry in two -- like a battle axe through a rotten zombie.
-
The cleanup crew mopping up AI slop
It turns out, handing the keyboard over to a robot can end up costing more time and money than hiring a human to do that work.
-
Inside Amazon's surprising settlement
The long-awaited trial between Amazon and the FTC is over... after just a few days. Joshua and Monica sat down to talk about what they heard during the hearings and why they think Amazon might have settled the case so soon.
-
'Dark patterns' and the case against Amazon
What are dark patterns? And how could a crack down on them change how we experience the internet?
-
College sports generate millions each year. Who should profit?
Whether it's multimillion-dollar endorsement deals or just enough money to cover lunch every day, money from ads and social media endorsements is changing the game for college athletes.
-
Hear it Again: The hunt for truth behind Oregon's mysterious cattle mutilations
In 2019, the remote plains of Harney County, Oregon made national news. Scattered amongst groves of ponderosa pine were a handful of mutilated cattle. The most astounding thing is that the scenes where these cattle were found were pristine. No tracks. And not one drop of blood – the carcasses were drained dry.