The David Pakman Show

The David Pakman Show (TDPS), originally Midweek Politics with David Pakman, is a multiplatform politics and news talk show airing on radio, television, and the internet, hosted by David Pakman, currently airing on a combination of commercial and public radio stations, including Pacifica Radio stations, on Free Speech TV via DirecTV and DISH Network, on public access television stations nationwide, via internet podcast and on YouTube. The program first aired in August 2005 on WXOJ-LP (“Valley Free Radio”), located in Northampton, Massachusetts, first achieving national syndication on Pacifica Radio network, eventually achieving broader international distribution. The David Pakman Show offers uncensored members only content through a paid membership program, known for behind the scenes discussions of guests and breaking the fourth wall.

TDPS is a news and political talk program, known for controversial interviews with political and religious extremists, liberal and conservative politicians, and other guests. TDPS has been involved in a number of controversies involving homophobic and racist guests. The program focuses on the politics and news of the day, technology and energy development, business, religion and other topics. TDPS airs on both radio and television affiliates around the US and across the world.

Host David Pakman holds an MBA from Bentley University and an undergraduate degree in economics and communication from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Pakman, who started the program at age 21, then the youngest nationally syndicated political host, has been compared to Rachel Maddow, both for his incisive, sometimes sarcastic political analysis and for starting his radio career in the same city as Maddow, Northampton, Massachusetts.

History

David Pakman started to produce a local version of TDPS on Pacifica radio affiliate WXOJ while an undergraduate student at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, during his time as an intern at the Media Education Foundation, the non-profit holding WXOJ’s license at the time. The program focused on national politics from its inception, and was initially made available only to Pacifica Radio Network affiliate stations. Immediate interest from few but important affiliates spread around the US, and as the production value and notability of guests of the show rose, affiliates continued to add the program to their schedules. Broader public radio syndication followed.

In 2007, TDPS added Louis Motamedi, childhood friend of Pakman’s, as radio producer. This expanded the program further, allowing for a wider variety of programming, more well-known guests, and live phone calls, and generally improved the production value of the show, which was until that point a one-person operation.

In 2009, The David Pakman Show was launched as a simultaneously produced television program (More under Television Syndication), adding Pakman’s brother, Natan Pakman, as the television producer.

In 2010, TDPS launched a paid membership program, maintaining the long-time free podcast at no charge, but offering audience members additional content in a freemium model, including extra show segments, behind the scenes interviews, and access to show archives.

In July 2010, TDPS obtained national television distribution through Free Speech TV.

In September 2010, The David Pakman Show left WXOJ and moved into their own studio in Northampton, Massachusetts, a facility equipped for both the radio and television versions of the program.

In November 2010, TDPS changed the name of the program to The David Pakman Show (TDPS).

In March 2012, TDPS announced an expansion to four episodes per week, Monday-Thursday, and a move to an earlier live broadcast time, moving to 2pm eastern US time. This change became effect on March 12, 2012.

Radio syndication

Public radio syndication began in 2006 on the Pacifica Radio Network through Vivid Edge Media Group, the production company for TDPS. Initially, a handful of non-commercial talk radio stations broadcast the show. During 2007, public radio syndication expanded to all public radio stations, regardless of Pacifica affiliation.

Commercial radio

During 2009, TDPS achieved its first commercial radio affiliates, starting with Green 1640 in Atlanta, Georgia and WHMP in TDPS’ broadcast home of Northampton, Massachusetts, previously having aired only on public radio stations.
International radio

TDPS airs on several international radio stations, including in Canada, Mexico, and Ghana.

Television syndication

On September 2, 2009, TDPS was launched as a simultaneously produced television program, originally offered to public-access television stations across the country, and also published on the The David Pakman ShowYouTube Channel. The program rapidly grew the number of television affiliates, and David Pakman has attributed the increased growth of the program starting in 2009 to expanding from radio to a visual medium.

Free Speech TV

On July 27, 2010, The David Pakman Show announced that it would start national syndication on Free Speech TV as of July 31, 2010. Free Speech TV reaches DirecTV and DISH Network subscribers, over 30 million as of July 27, 2010, via satellite.

International television

TDPS announced in September 2010 that the first international affiliate, Öppna Kanalen Skövde in Skövde, Sweden, would be airing the program.

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