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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

  • 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. 

  • Who should profit from college sports?

    A court settlement this summer determined that students have a right to make money from sports. But for the first time, universities will be the ones to pay them.

  • How can Seattle keep tourists from loving it to death?

    Every year, tens of millions of tourists visit Seattle’s Pike Place Market, the Elliot Bay waterfront, and sports stadiums. That industry is growing --this year, a record number of cruise ships are expected to fill Seattle’s piers.

  • Is thrifting still thrifty?

    Monica talks to an expert on thrift culture about the economic forces shaping second-hand shopping and why some say it might not be the place for bargain-hunters anymore. 

  • So much for starter homes

    The median price of a single-family home in Seattle is around $1 million, and the greater Seattle area is the third most expensive in the nation. So, why do prices keep going up? 

  • Is our AI obsession good for small town America?

    AI has a backend, and it looks like massive data centers sprawling across farmland in places like central Washington. Today, we travel to a place where the data center boom is well underway to find out how the AI boom is reshaping small towns.

  • The next earthquake is coming. Is old Seattle worth saving?

    The Nisqually earthquake did at least $2 billion worth of damage across the Puget Sound region. It hit Seattle’s historic brick and stone buildings hard, and the city has learned a lot of expensive lessons about what would make them safer. 

  • Can light rail make Bellevue hip?

    Bellevue’s older sibling, Seattle, has been in the limelight for a long time. Can light rail make it Bellevue’s time to shine?

  • Is AI the new electricity?

    Microsoft's Brad Smith says the AI revolution could be bigger than the Internet, bigger than mobile, and that the best comparison is the advent of electricity.  So, what does it mean for all of us?