Brooklyn College adjunct film professor Deborah Goodwin is making waves in the national iHeartRadio Top Host competition, a Ryan Seacrest-backed contest that aims to discover standout podcast talent.
Thanks to strong support from listeners and followers, Goodwin—who spent a decade working in Hollywood development for networks like USA Networks, CBS, and ABC Daytime—has advanced to the Top 10 of the competition.
Voting for the next round, the top 5, ends November 5. Weekly eliminations will lead to the December 4 announcement of a winner, who will earn a $25,000 cash prize to help launch their career, a six-episode podcast series produced by iHeartRadio, and a guest appearance on “On Air with Ryan Seacrest.”
An experienced storyteller and podcast creator, Goodwin credits her success to meaningful audience engagement. In a recent competition response about building a strong stage presence, she noted that her most recent audio series reached Apple’s Top 100 and earned an 8.3 rating on Amazon. She emphasized the importance of connecting with listeners and staying curious, describing learning as her “superpower.”
